I'm Yours
by sasukelove2
Summary: I'm yours Sasukekun. It was a phrase she repeated to him every night they spent together. It was the only way he'd complete the intimate act, the only way she could be connected to him again. SasuSaku A different kind of love story...
1. Prologue

**AN:** For the purposes of this story, Sasuke has already killed Itachi when he was 16 and has been back in Konoha for 4 years now. He was given a full pardon by Tsunade because he ridded the world of such an evil, dangerous person...yea yea I know, but it makes things easier for me to write : ) Also, Sakura and Sasuke are both 20 years old at this point. More background information will be explained in later chapters.

**Summary**: "I'm yours Sasuke-kun." It was a phrase she repeated to him every night they spent together. It was the only way he'd complete the intimate act, the only way she could be connected to him again. (SasuSaku) A different kind of love story...

**WARNING: **This story isn't rated Mature for nothing! Major SasuSaku lemons ahead! If that type of material offends you, please don't read any farther.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Prologue_

Their mouths met in an eager and passionate kiss that left her flesh feeling burned. Warm hands sought out bare skin as their bodies arched to be even closer to one another.

"Sasuke-kun please, oh please, please…" she begged and her hands fisted in the sheets as she enjoyed the wonderful feelings he was stirring in her.

Only Sasuke was capable of giving her such pleasure, such mind-numbing sensation. His skilled touch could never be matched, his passion never mimicked. He was Uchiha Sasuke after all. And no one ever beats an Uchiha.

She felt his smirk against her lips as they continued their heated romp and was unable to stifle another cry of "Please Sasuke-kun!" before he shoved two fingers inside her. The action tore a gasp of unrestrained bliss from the pink-haired woman and she grabbed onto Sasuke's broad shoulders for support. But she wanted more, so much more than just this. She wanted to experience the feeling of him inside her, the moment when they were so intimately connected that it was almost as if time stood still and all that was left was just the two of them. Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura: forever intertwined.

"Open your eyes Sakura…" a husky, masculine voice commanded her. Sakura forced her eyes open and gazed upon the powerful form of Uchiha Sasuke. A light sheen of sweat covered his toned torso and the corded muscles of his arms gripped her body in a gesture that could only be described as possessive. Her eyes locked with Sasuke's onyx orbs and she couldn't help but gasp when she saw the predatory, lustful gleam in the black pools.

"How much do you want me Sakura? Tell me how much" he said huskily, slowing down the movement of his fingers inside of her and almost withdrawing them completely.

Sakura moaned at the loss of contact and brought her hips forward in attempt to immerse his fingers once more. "I want _you_ Sasuke-kun…want you so much…"

Sasuke smirked again and plunged his fingers in more rapidly than before; a definite purpose behind his movements. "Oh Sasuke-kun, oh!" Sakura cried out as a mind-numbing wave of pleasure coursed through her body making her hips buck against Sasuke's hand.

Giving Sakura no chance to calm, Sasuke began assailing her breasts with heated open-mouthed kisses that sent her pulse racing and filled her veins with white-hot lust. "Tell me Sakura, tell me…" Sasuke commanded, eliciting a groan from her as he flicked his tongue over her right nipple. Grabbing onto his raven locks, she attempted to guide his mouth to her other breast. He looked up into her jade eyes and again repeated his command. "Tell me now…"

Sakura knew what it was that he wanted. Sasuke had made her say it the very first time they did this. It was a phrase she repeated to him every night they spent together. It was the only way he'd complete the intimate act, the only way she could be connected to him again.

Sakura gasped as he latched onto her left nipple and sucked. "Oh please….I want you so much Sasuke-kun!" she moaned and pulled his head up for a heated kiss. His tongue pushed inside her mouth roughly and battled with hers for dominance. Breaking the kiss and breathing raggedly Sasuke locked his gaze with hers. "Sakura _tell me_…"

Pulse racing, Sakura said the phrase she knew he needed to hear. "I'm yours Sasuke-kun; take me."

Swiftly and with a practiced motion, Sasuke shifted his weight and entered her with a quick thrust. Sakura cried out at the mixed feelings of pleasure and pain and grabbed his shoulders for support. His length filled her so fully, so completely that it felt like her body was made to fit his. Forcing her eyes open, she gazed up at Sasuke's handsome face, marveling at how controlled he appeared, how steady and firm his body was on top of hers.

"God Sakura…" Sasuke moaned and he clutched her to him. His pace became even faster as he filled her core again and again with swift, sure strokes. "More Sasuke-kun, please more!" she cried and her hips joined his in the desperate rhythm of their lovemaking, meeting him thrust for thrust.

"Sasuke-kun!" she cried out his name as white stars exploded behind her eyelids and the sweet pleasure of her climax began to overtake her. The clenching of her inner walls was just enough to send Sasuke over the edge and after a few erratic thrusts she felt him spill into her.

Panting, Sasuke pulled out of Sakura's body and laid back on the bed. Sakura reached for the raven-haired man and he pulled her flush against him. She felt his pulse slow and his breathing relax as he quickly drifted off to sleep.

A tear ran down Sakura's cheek as she remembered that this intimacy would be over in the morning, that only at night could she bask in the comfort of his arms. Tomorrow he would be gone just like every other time after their lovemaking and in the daylight she would be forced to pretend that they didn't have this connection; that they were nothing more than friends.

It broke her heart.

Clutching Sasuke's warm hand in hers she whispered softly in the dark. "I know you could never feel the same way Sasuke-kun, but I love you with all my heart."

* * *

**AN:** I know this is really really short, but hey, it is a prologue after all. You might be wondering where I'm going with this story, but don't worry, everything will be explained in later chapters. Also, when I write stories, I put a lot into them and I spend A LOT of my time working on them. With that said, I'd love to get some reviews saying whether or not you're at all interested in my fic and if I should continue. I don't really want to dedicate a large portion of my time to a story that no one cares about lol. Well anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you take the time to review (positive _or _negative); I'd really appreciate it! 


	2. Chapter One

**AN: **Hey! Thanks to everyone who left a review; it was really thoughtful of you and I hope you continue with my story. Also, sorry about the wait. I meant to update a lot earlier, but I was on vacation and didn't have access to a computer. Well, here's the first chapter...

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter One_

"Why don't you let _me_ talk to him? And if he doesn't renounce his bastardly ways then I'll just knock some sense into him. With my fists of course…" Naruto shoved his chopsticks into the steaming bowl of ramen with a little more force than necessary. Sakura frowned down at the contents of her bowl and then glanced over at her loyal friend. "I swear, that teme shouldn't be treating you like this! Why can't he just see what's right in front of him?!"

"Naruto, don't worry about it, I'm _fine_," Sakura replied untruthfully. "And stop stabbing your chopsticks like that," she added, stilling Naruto's hand with one of her own, "You're scaring that poor old woman over there."

Naruto glanced to his left and grinned sheepishly at the frightened face of a woman who appeared to be more than 60 years his senior. "Alright alright," he conceded, "I won't interfere." Sakura smiled gratefully and relief was visible all across her face.

The blonde-haired man attempted to eat his ramen again, but surprisingly attacked the noodles with less than half his usual vigor. He glanced over at Sakura and couldn't help but feel saddened by her defeated, weary posture. _She loves Sasuke so much and he acts like she's just another one of his fan girls. It isn't right!_

Naruto let out a frustrated groan. "I just don't understand it Sakura-chan! You and Sasuke have sex all the time, going at it like rabbits—" Naruto's tirade was cut short when Sakura gave him a forceful kick in the shin and glared pointedly in the direction of the old lady. "Be quiet Naruto! We don't want her to be scarred for life!"

The two friends glanced over at the woman and smiled innocently. Naruto stifled a laugh as the old gal shook her head and walked out of the shop quicker than any granny he'd ever seen. "Now look what you've done…" Sakura said while giving him a disapproving look that wiped the grin off of his face.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan, it's just that I can't bear to see Sasuke treat you like this. I know you say you're fine with it, but _I'm not_. You deserve better." Naruto shifted uncomfortably and Sakura was left to marvel at how mature his statement sounded. She gripped his hand and squeezed it affectionately. "We're worried about you Sakura-chan, Hinata and I both are."

Desperate to change the subject, Sakura quickly shifted the focus of the conversation to the woman Naruto had just mentioned. "So how _is _your bride-to-be Naruto-kun? Still putting up with your antics?" Naruto rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide how his expression visibly brightened. "Hinata _likes _my behavior I'll have you know! She might even enjoy ramen just as much as I do now!" Sakura let out a pleasant laugh that made Naruto smile."So you've brainwashed Hinata, have you? Well, I suppose there never was any hope for her really—she reached the point of no return the moment she fell in love with _you_." Sakura chuckled once more and this time Naruto joined her. It made him happy to see Sakura laughing again; she didn't do it enough these days.

"In all seriousness though, I'm so happy for you and Hinata. You two are perfect for each other." Naruto grinned and began gushing about the love of his life; a normal tendency of his. As her friend went on about Hinata's success in her last mission, Sakura's thoughts drifted, as they always did, to her relationship with Uchiha Sasuke.

When Sasuke had left Konoha several years ago, it had taken nearly all her strength not to fall apart completely. She cried her heart out for him almost every night, replaying memories of times spent with the raven-haired boy she loved so much. But life had to go on. Even though she was broken inside, she had to continue her training, continue her path to becoming the best shinobi she could possibly be. Uchiha Sasuke might have stolen her heart, but he hadn't taken away her resolve.

After 4 years of absence, Sasuke showed up again. With the same self-assured gait, he walked right back into her life and acted like nothing had changed; like he hadn't forsaken all of them just four short years ago.

She couldn't talk to him that first month. She couldn't bring herself to look into those emotionless black eyes and pretend like everything was okay. So instead, she avoided him constantly and relied on her gossipy friend Ino to fill her in on everything to do with Sasuke. Sakura learned of Itachi's death at Sasuke's hands, how he had finally accomplished his lifelong goal, and she also learned of how Tsunade was willing to grant him a full pardon. He would have his life back, no questions asked. It seemed too good to be true.

When she finally mustered up the courage to speak to him, he was a Konoha shinobi again and close to becoming an accepted member of the community. He lived only a few blocks away in the same building as a nice boy that worked with her in the hospital. It was strange picturing him living near a boy that was so considerate and polite, while he himself was dark and selfish.

The walk up the stairs to his new apartment was perhaps one of the most frightening moments of her life. Her heart was still fragile, still unused to the idea of Uchiha Sasuke being a part of her life once more. He had hurt her more than anyone else could have possibly done and she didn't want to take the risk of that happening again.

With a shaking hand she had knocked on the faded green door numbered 53 and had tried desperately to quell the frantic beating of her heart. _You're over him now, _she had told herself_, you're through with his self-centeredness. _

The faint sound of footsteps signaled his approach and she had braced herself for the encounter she knew was coming. Her legs had quivered with a sudden urge to flee back down the stairs towards the open street and safety. She had wanted desperately to retreat from that tiny hallway, that prison where she felt like her existence was in limbo, her life dwindling on the edge of some massive crevice that gaped open in front of her. Maybe it would be better if she just fell in….

A lock clicked open and the faded green door made way for a tall, muscular man with raven hair.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Sakura…"

And that was all it took. That simple word made her fall hopelessly back in love with Uchiha Sasuke.

_Damn. _

Their friendship didn't take long to fall back into place and at first she had hoped Sasuke might finally return her feelings. His revenge complete, the teenage Uchiha was now free to do what he wished with no constraints or obligations to stand in the way. Maybe they could finally be together, maybe she could be truly happy for once.

Fate must've had other plans in mind.

Two years passed by and nothing changed. The two 18-yr-olds seemed to have the same relationship that they once had as members of Team 7, nothing more. What _had _changed however, were Sasuke's attentions toward _other _females in the Leaf Village. The man who had once betrayed his people was now more popular and more desirable than ever. His fan group had doubled over the years and their intentions were far from innocent. Sasuke quickly gained the reputation of being an excellent lover who was only interested in sex, nothing more. Relationships were completely out of the question. The gorgeous women he spent his nights with didn't seem to mind however; the fact that they had bragging rights to a heated romp spent with the famous Uchiha Sasuke satisfied them plenty.

Sakura was crushed at first when she heard of his sexual intrigues with other women and was even tempted to let Naruto give him the beating he wanted to. But her love for Sasuke kept her from blaming him, from writing him off like he deserved. She just kept convincing herself he'd come around. Once he had his fill of those undeniably sexy women he would see that_ she_ had been waiting there all along. He'd recognize that true care and devotion were worth more than meaningless flings, and he'd realize that he loved _her_.

Well at least that was what was _supposed _to happen.

On the night of her nineteenth birthday, Sakura's relationship with Sasuke changed forever. The young medic nin had enjoyed a relaxing dinner with her girlfriends Ino, Hinata, and Tenten, chatting, laughing, and reminiscing over their younger days. They hit a dance club and Sakura let loose more than she had in years. By 1 am the four friends were tired out and they all parted to go home to their separate apartments.

Sakura wasn't even thinking of Sasuke when she unlocked the door of her apartment and walked in singing the catchy tune she had loved dancing to in the club. In fact it was one of the first nights in months that she felt content and happy. Uchiha Sasuke was the farthest thing from her mind.

That changed all too quickly when she noticed him standing in her dark living room staring at the old picture of Team 7 she kept on a shelf above the TV.

"Sakura…I've been waiting…"

Sakura flinched so badly that her keys fell to the floor with a loud clank. Standing frozen in the open doorway, Sakura wracked her brain for all the possible reasons Sasuke would be waiting for _her. _

She forced herself to speak, "Sa-Sasuke, what are you doing here so late? Is something wrong…has something happened?" Her voice cracked on the last word and she mentally cringed at sounding so nervous.

Sasuke finally turned away from the Team 7 picture and met her eyes.

"Sakura, I just need…I need to feel alive tonight." _What?!_ Sakura had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, yet she nodded her head anyway.

The black-haired man took a few steps toward her and then wobbled slightly to one side. _Sas__uke never falters, what the hell__ is going on with him? _Sakura mentally questioned. She met his slightly glassy eyes and all of sudden his strange behavior finally made sense.

"Sasuke, you…you're drunk aren't you?"

"I'm _fine_Sakura. Don't act like you understand everything about me."

His remark stung, but she didn't show it. Pointing towards the open door Sakura let some of her pain surface as anger. "Just get out of here! This is _my _apartment and I have the right to tell you to leave!"

Instead of remaining impassive like she expected, Sasuke surprised her with his mocking smirk. "We both know you don't want me to leave_ Saku__ra_…" The way he said her name sent chills down her spine and she tried to remind herself that he was drunk, that he wasn't himself right now.

Sasuke's eyes roamed over her form hungrily and she felt completely exposed under his gaze. Shaking her head as if to physically clear her thoughts, Sakura tried once again to understand why he was in her apartment.

"Sasuke-kun why are you here?"

He ran a hand through his raven hair and locked his gaze with hers.

"Close the door Sakura…"

She did as she was told without even thinking about it. His commanding tone didn't leave room for questions.

He took another step towards her and she didn't care that he was drunk, that he wasn't thinking clearly about what he was doing. Hell, she was drunk too. Drunk on _him_.

His lips came crashing down on hers without preamble and every thought was driven from her mind. Their tongues clashed and she tasted the strong flavor of alcohol in his mouth. His hands roamed down her sides and soon her shirt was off, discarded carelessly on the floor beside them.

As he lavished her exposed neck with kisses and nips, she realized that what they were doing was wrong and it was up to her, the sober one, to stop things before they went too far. _Yes, I have to stop this, _Sakura told herself, _I'll just tell him that I—ooooohhhh! _The feel of his tongue on her breast through the fabric of her bra drew a gasp from her throat.

Sasuke lifted his head up from her chest and their mouths met again in a passionate kiss that bruised her lips. Sakura tried desperately to maintain any small measure of sanity as he tangled his hands in her silky pink hair and continued kissing her like she was _his. _

He shifted his weight even closer and soon their hips were grinding against each other in a fervent, almost desperate rhythm.

_Yes, __I really should stop this, _Sakura reminded herself again.

But he was _Sasuke_ and she loved him too fucking much to care.

That was the way it started a year ago. They made love for the first time that night and in the morning he was gone. Still reveling in the feelings and emotions Sasuke had created in her the night before, Sakura made excuses for him. _He must've had a mission, _she told herself, _he had to leave early and didn't want to wake me. _

Then she found the note in the drawer of her bedside table:

_I'm sorry things went so far last night. Alcohol makes people do stupid things and I just wasn't thinking clearly. I__ want you to know that I do value your friendship, but last night was a mistake. I don't love you Sakura._

Sakura was devastated. She felt used and alone in a way that surpassed any feelings of loneliness she had ever experienced before. It was _her_ fault that this had happened and she hated herself for the weakness she harbored when it came to Uchiha Sasuke.

Two weeks passed without making contact with him and Sakura tried in vain to forget the closeness she'd experienced with Sasuke that fateful night. It was impossible.

One evening after a long shift at the hospital Sakura came home to find Sasuke in her living room again. There was no doubt that he was drunk and his intent was unmistakable. But Sakura just couldn't stop herself. She loved him so much that she would do anything to be connected to him, even if it meant sacrificing her heart in the process.

Soon his nightly visits became more frequent and he was sober more often than not. Sasuke discovered that they were good together, that they were great sexual partners. Sakura gave him immense pleasure and he gave her closeness to him in return. It wasn't a relationship of course, just a 'friends with benefits' type of arrangement and that's the way Sasuke knew he and Sakura wanted it. They shared a night together, a night full of passion and intimacy, but in the morning the dream ended. He was Konoha's most desirable bachelor, she, the Leaf Village's prized medic nin. Only Naruto knew about their relationship and they knew he wouldn't tell anyone despite his disapproval. That was just the way things were.

"Sakura! Hello, earth to Sakura!" The pink-haired woman was startled out of her reminiscence by the loud calling of the man seated next to her.

"Wh-What? Sorry I was just lost in thought for a second. What was it you were saying again?"

Naruto smiled at his friend and shook his head. "It was nothing Sakura-chan, forget it."

"Oh okay well I better be going now Naruto. My lunch break has been over for 5 minutes and the hospital will be on my ass if I'm back late again."

Sakura put some money on the counter for her bill and waved bye to her friend as she quickly walked out of Ichiraku's ramen stand. Naruto watched her walk away and shook his head sadly.

_You don't deserve this Sakura._

His fist clenched involuntarily under the counter and his mind rang with the words he wished he could really tell Sakura. _Sasuke is so stupid and Sakura, you're being stupid too. Just tell him the fucking truth already so that you can move on with your lives. You guys can love each other, get married, and then have tons of little pink and black haired kids one day. __And__ if Sasuke continues to be a bastard,__ just__ give it up and find someone who will actually appreciate you._

Naruto sighed tiredly and tried in vain to understand the twisted relationship between his two friends. Sakura was one of the most beautiful, caring women in Konoha, besides Hinata-chan of course, and yet she saved herself for a man who didn't seem to realize how amazing she was.

Naruto looked down at the money on the counter and realized that not only had Sakura paid for her own meal, but his as well. "Sasuke, you idiot," he grumbled, "You just don't understand how lucky you are."

* * *

**AN: **Not much of a cliffhanger huh? Hopefully I'll get better at those :) This chapter might have been a bit boring for some of you, but I think that background info is necessary to understand what's going on between Sasuke and Sakura. Don't worry though, there's going to be a lot of interaction between our favorite couple in the next chapter! Please keep reading and as always, I'd love any type of review. Constructive criticism is great!

_Coming Soon...__SasuSaku heat!_


	3. Chapter Two

**AN: **Hi everyone! Sorry for the wait, but this chapter was insanely hard to write for some reason. With that said, I hope you can at least appreciate the effort if nothing else. Also, thanks to all who read and reviewed; you guys are awesome! Your thoughtful words really do make my day :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Chapter Two 

"Oh Sasuke!" The woman's blissful cry filled the corners of her lavishly decorated apartment and seemed to compliment the rhythmic creaking of her mattress. Two bodies lay intertwined upon the soft sheets, moving together as one.

The woman let out another gasp and the pace of the man atop her quickened. Soon they were left lying next to one another, panting after their heated activity.

Kobayashi Miho flipped her long, black hair over her shoulder and let out a pleasurable sigh.

Sasuke glanced over at the beauty next to him and couldn't help but notice how great a catch she was. Perfect hair, deep brown eyes, stunning body. Every man's dream really. Too bad he couldn't care less.

For Sasuke, she was just another conquest, another notch in his already notch-covered bedpost. She had approached him at a party a few months ago and let him know right away that she enjoyed sex just as much as he did. She didn't want a relationship and neither did he, but their sporadic meetings were always pleasure-filled.

Miho propped herself up on one elbow and flashed Sasuke a winning smile. When he simply stared at her in response, she sat up and reached for her handsome bed partner.

Sasuke quickly pulled away from her grasp and lifted himself off of the rumpled sheets.

Miho's lilting laugh filled the room. "You never were one for affection."

Sasuke smirked in her direction and picked up his pants that had been thrown hastily on the carpet earlier that evening. Pulling them up his long legs, Sasuke regarded Miho's confident smile and stifled the urge to say "You're annoying." Old habits died hard.

He'd slept with Miho several times before and he was well aware of her affinity towards the most wealthy or famous ninja in Konoha. It seemed that the more renowned they were, the better they were in bed. This proved especially true with him of course.

Miho had never made it a secret that she desired fame and fortune and she was quick to admit that she used her sexual intrigues for social advancement and material gain. Sasuke didn't necessarily enjoy this aspect of her character, but her skill in bed was hard to ignore.

As he finished getting dressed, Miho wrapped the sheet around her body and moved to the edge of the mattress. He briefly pondered how alluring and yet completely shallow she really was. Reminding himself that he wasn't much better, Sasuke moved towards the door.

"Why not sleep here tonight?" The dark-haired woman asked him. "I'm sure I can make it worth your while."

"Hn"

Sasuke caught a glimpse of Miho's seductive smile and sighed inwardly at her pointless advances.

She laughed derisively and shook her head. "I guess that's a no, right?"

"Exactly."

As Sasuke made another move for the door, Miho rolled her eyes at his retreating form. _He's such an amazing lover, but so moody. He's infamous of course, but really__ he doesn't spend any time with the high class society of __Konoha__. I guess his looks and reputation make up for it, but I just don't understand his choice of companions. That ridiculous __Uzumaki__Naruto__ and then that medic __nin__ woman…You'd think he'd want to spend time with people more at his level…_

She ran her fingers through her dark locks and decided to spice things up a little before he left.

"So there's a rumor going around that you're sleeping with that pink-haired medic nin. What's her name again? Sakura?"

Sasuke stopped in his tracks.

He was thrown completely off guard by her question and it took a moment before he was able to gather his wits about him. His back still facing her, Sasuke responded in his usual impassive tone. "It's really none of your business who I spend my time with when I'm not with you."

"Oh, touchy subject?" Miho let out a mocking laugh that made Sasuke clench his teeth in annoyance. "Well I'm sure it isn't true, I mean she's not the most desirable woman in Konoha or anything. And the fact that she works _all _the time certainly doesn't help her social situation. Pity really, she does have a nice hair color…"

Sasuke turned to face her and she couldn't help but flinch when she saw the anger reflected in his gaze.

"Don't ever talk about Sakura again."

He took a step toward the door and then turned his head back towards the bed. "And don't expect me back here anytime soon."

Miho was intimidated by his icy tone, but regained her composure quickly. "Suit yourself Uchiha. You may be the most desirable man around, but you're not the only one I fuck!"

Sasuke didn't respond and instead walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.

Miho fell back upon the bed and sighed. _He may be moody, but damn he's hot! _

_

* * *

_Sasuke breathed in the crisp evening air as he walked down the streets of Konoha. Miho was a great lay and all, but definitely not worth all the trouble she was now causing him. Her suspicions were a bit disarming and he didn't want to suffer anymore questions that threatened to reveal just how close he and Sakura really were. 

Sakura valued her position as a nice, respectable woman in the Leaf Village and he didn't want her reputation to be tarnished. She was his friend and people just wouldn't understand or approve of their sexual relationship. It was better just to keep things private.

He paused to look at a poster advertising the local bakery's newest chocolate dessert and was instantly reminded of Miho's chocolate-colored eyes.

She was right, he wasn't her only lover, far from it in fact. He thought about how many men the calculating woman had seduced and used and was disgusted by her blatantly manipulative manner. She had probably slept with dozens of influential men, just to propel herself further on the social ladder and she had hoped he might provide the same benefits.

Sasuke pictured her brown eyes again, but this time focused on the scheming glint they held.

Kobayashi Miho. The "ho" in her name certainly did suit her well.

* * *

"There you go, all finished." Sakura carefully let go of the child's arm and admired her handiwork. 

The small boy moved his arm about and smiled when he saw that it was fully functional again. His mother turned towards the woman who had mended her son's crushed limb and thanked her graciously. "Dr. Haruno, thank you so much! You have no idea how much Kaoru values his arms."

The boy grinned toothily up at his mother and punched at the air with his fists. "Taijutsu is my speciality!" Sakura patted him on the head and with a few more instructions for his mother, ushered them out of the room.

She sighed tiredly and leaned up against the wall, closing her eyes. It had been a long day full of stress and a multitude of patients. Being the head of the Emergency Ward was a rough job and the long hours were starting to take their toll on her.

"Sakura-san, is everything alright?"

Sakura opened her eyes and stared into the concerned face of Rock Lee. Sakura smiled and took a step away from the wall. "Of course Lee, just catching a bit of rest."

"It's been a rough day hasn't it?"

"Oh I guess it wasn't that bad really. I mean, I kind of enjoyed chasing after those seven crazy children and watching their mother stumble after them with her broken leg."

They both grinned at each other and Sakura thought about how she really did enjoy Lee's company. Even though his injuries attained in the Chuunin Exam had been healed by Tsunade years ago, another battle ended up damaging his left limbs again. The damage was too extensive to cure and Lee was forced to give up being a Konoha shinobi for good. He instead decided to become a doctor and work at the hospital. Sakura found that Lee was very good with the patients, able to empathize with them and understand the impact of sickness and injuries. He was a great asset to the medical team.

"Are you going home now Sakura-san? I could walk you back to your apartment if you want." Lee looked at her with a hopeful, eager expression and she couldn't help but feel sorry for the man who desperately wanted her to be his "important person."

Sakura tried as always to let him down easy. "Oh thanks Lee-san, but I'm going to stay here a little while longer and finish up some things."

Lee tried to appear unaffected by her refusal, but couldn't hide the disappointment reflected in his eyes. "Oh…okay, well do you want me to stay late too? I could help you get things done faster…"

"No, no Lee, I'll be fine alone. You have to work the morning shift bright and early tomorrow so you'll need your rest. And tomorrow's my day off anyway so I can stay up as late as I want. But thanks."

After she coaxed Lee to finally return home, Sakura reflected on how pointless it was for him to still be smitten with her. She cared about him and enjoyed their friendship, but didn't think that she could ever feel anything more towards him. It almost seemed unfair. He was such a nice and caring person and he would do anything for her. All that was really wrong was that he wasn't Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

Hours had passed by and Sasuke was still roaming the now dark and empty streets of Konoha. He had always been a deep thinker, but tonight his mind was more restless than usual.

_So there's a rumor going around that you're sleeping with that pink-haired medic __nin__…_

Miho's taunting words echoed annoyingly throughout the confines of his mind.

_Well I'm sure it isn't true, I mean she's not the most desirable woman in __Konoha__ or anything__…_

Sasuke kicked an empty can across the sidewalk and tried to understand why Miho's statements about Sakura angered him so much.

_It's just Sakura after all….__it'__s__ not like I __need to defend her or anything._

He shoved his hands inside his pockets and continued on down the street. As he passed by the hospital, he couldn't help but wonder if Sakura was still inside.

His instincts told him she was.

_…she's not the most desirable woman in__Konoha__ or anything…_

His _other_, more primal type of instincts begged to differ.

With a sure stride, Sasuke turned down the sidewalk that led to the hospital and walked toward the double doors.

* * *

Sakura cursed under her breath as she rummaged through a ridiculously unorganized stack of patient files lying on her desk.

_Damn! Where __are__ the blood work results on that injured __Shinobi__ that came in earlier? What was his name….Nakamura __Shouta__? Or was it __Souta__? Ugh! _

She snapped her pencil accidentally and then tossed it across the room in sheer frustration. As she glanced over to see the pencil's destination, she noticed that the pattern on her office wallpaper looked uncannily like the Uchiha fan logo.

_Wow Sakura_, _you've really got it bad._

She shook her head and rose from her hunched position. Walking across the dimly lit room, she glanced at the clock above the door and saw that she had stayed 4 hours and already it was approaching 3:00 am.

_No wonder I'm seeing __freakin__Uchiha__ fans, I've been up almost 20 hours! _

Walking through the open door of her office, she sluggishly made her way towards the file storage room and tried again to remember the name of the injured shinobi. When she finally did remember and recovered the file, she felt as if 20 pound weights had been attached to her eyelids and were forcing her to succumb to that sweet, yet unfamiliar sensation known as sleep. Locking the storage room door, Sakura began the seemingly endless trek down the hospital hallways back to her office.

_My legs kill! Ok, I can make it to my office without collapsing from sleep deprivation. It's just around this corner…_

As she rounded the final turn, a strong hand grabbed onto her wrist and pulled her into a firm, muscular, and decidedly _male_ body.

Sakura gasped in surprise and quickly looked up to see the identity of her assailant. Her jade eyes met deep black and she immediately knew who it was.

"Sasuke-kun…?"

All traces of tiredness faded as Sasuke grabbed her upper arms and pinned her between his body and the wall.

"I just couldn't wait Sakura."

Giving her no chance to reply, Sasuke claimed her lips forcefully and smashed their bodies together.

In between kisses, Sakura attempted to stop the situation from careening out of control. "This…isn't….a…a…good idea!"

Sasuke broke the kiss and pulled his face inches away from her own.

"Believe me Sakura, the ideas I have in my head are anything but good…."

Sakura gasped at the predatory gleam in his eyes and clenched her legs together at the tingling sensation emanating from her core.

Her action didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke and he smirked in response. "But you've always been up for it haven't you? You _enjoy _being bad…"

The intense feelings he caused in her were almost too much to bear. Grabbing his hair aggressively, Sakura yanked his mouth back toward hers and plunged her tongue inside.

Their tongues sparred in a battle for dominance that seemed to reflect the many times they had fought in training. Sakura tried her best, but in the end Sasuke won. He always did.

Sasuke's hands traveled from her arms to the front of her blouse and in quick succession, each button was yanked free of its clasp.

Pulling the shirt roughly down her arms, he groaned when Sakura latched her mouth onto his neck and sucked.

"God Sakura…"

Sasuke reached behind her back and began working on the clasp of her bra, a task that at the moment, seemed more difficult than mastering a complicated jutsu.

"Fuck it."

Focusing chakra to his fingers, he touched the clasp again and smirked as it was quickly incinerated.

The bra fell to the floor and Sakura shot a reproving glare in his direction. "That was a new bra Sasuke-kun, and now it's completely— "

Sasuke silenced her reprimand with a searing kiss.

"You talk too much…"

Their mouths met again and Sakura's hands traveled up and under his shirt. She ran her fingers across the rippled muscles of his abdomen and elicited a guttural sound from his throat when she lightly ran her nails up the taut expanse of his pectoral region.

Breaking contact with her briefly, Sasuke grabbed the bottom of his shirt and quickly yanked it over his head.

Immediately he grabbed her waist again and the slap of bare skin echoed throughout the hallway as their bodies collided.

"Oh Sasuke-kun…"

Sakura reveled in the electric tingles that traveled from her nipples all the way to her pelvis as his chest rubbed roughly against hers.

"Please Sasuke-kun, please more!"

Suddenly, Sasuke moved his hands down to her bum and picked her up effortlessly. Surprised by his unexpected move, Sakura gasped into his mouth and clung to his neck for support.

Without breaking their kiss, Sasuke pulled her legs up around his waist and moved away from the wall. He stumbled a few steps down the hallway and then burst into Sakura's dimly lit office.

Sasuke quickly surveyed the furniture present in the small room and scowled at how paper-strewn everything was.

"This place is a mess."

"Wha-what?" Sakura's mind was so overcome by desperate _need_ that anything else seemed rather pointless at the moment.

"I guess the desk then."

"The desk?"

Sasuke managed to shove aside a huge stack of files and set Sakura down on the wooden surface at the same time.

Sakura sighed. _I guess those __Uchiha__ reflexes __ar__e pretty handy._

Her sigh was quickly replaced with a pleasure-filled cry as he took her nipple entirely in his mouth. She felt the flat of his tongue against the underside of her breast and then grasped his hair roughly as he sucked.

Sakura felt liquid heat pool in her abdomen and then the tell-tale wetness between her thighs.

"Sasuke-kun," she all but screamed as he grabbed onto her thighs and traveled his hands up and under her skirt. Practically panting now, she clutched the waistband of his pants and then moved her slender fingers to the buttons on the front.

Fumblingly she undid each one and then momentarily lost concentration when she felt Sasuke rubbing his palm against the front of her panties.

She looked up into his black, lust-filled eyes and was caught off guard when he pressed his lips against hers in a tender, almost chaste kiss.

"Sasuke-kun…?"

The man in question broke contact with her and then stepped quickly out of his pants and boxers.

She couldn't help but stare at his perfect body and also at that certain part of him that seemed so utterly appealing at the moment.

He closed the distance between them and any signs of tenderness that he had displayed earlier were dispelled as he grinded their pelvises together and wrecked havoc on her exposed breasts.

"Oh…oh oh!"

Sakura's eyes closed tightly against the mind-numbing pleasure he was giving her and gasped when she felt him tear her panties from her body.

Sasuke was poised to enter her when a large paper weight rolled off of the desk and crashed to the floor loudly. Startled, he momentarily let go of Sakura and unconsciously took a step back.

_Sakura mentally groaned at the __unwanted interruption. She needed__ him now._

Grasping his hips, she gently pulled him closer towards her body.

Sasuke's hands naturally rose to grip her own hips and he moved so that he was standing directly between her legs.

Knowing what he wanted before he even voiced it, Sakura said the crucial phrase.

"I-I'm yours Sasuke-kun…"

For just a moment Sasuke's usually confident stare faltered and it seemed to Sakura as if he was surprised by her words, as if he hadn't been expecting them at all.

_Sasuke__….?_

But then their gazes locked again and he entered her core with one fluid thrust.

"Sasuke-kun!"

_She was his once more. _

* * *

**AN:**Um, I have to say that this chapter didn't exactly work out the way I wanted it to...Sasuke and Sakura just weren't doing what I wanted and some of the interaction I was hoping to have between them kinda didn't happen. I promise though, that the next chapter will have some more of that great stuff known as _dialgoue_, that was quite scant in this chapter. Hopefully Sasuke and Sakura will cooperate better for me... 

With all that said, I hope you guys enjoyed this one, even if I wasn't completely crazy about it, and I'd love it if you continued with my story! And of course, please please review...I love suggestions and criticism! Plus, your encouragment is really what keeps me going :) Reviews equal Love.

_Coming Soon...Sasuke and Sakura spend a night out in Konoha with a bunch of our favorite ninjas! But will a gasp **jealous** Sasuke emerge?! _


	4. Chapter Three

**AN: **Hey there everyone! I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all my lovely reviewers. All of you guys are just so amazing and I love your suggestions and encouragement. Thanks so much! Also, I've noticed that a lot of people kind of hate Sasuke right now and think that he's a total jerk lol. I guess I'm doing something right then because he's supposed to be that way hehe. And don't worry about Sakura letting him walk all over her...she's not as weak as she seems :) So here's Chapter Three; I hope you have as much fun reading as I did writing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter Three_

Sakura groaned as she surveyed the damage that had resulted from last night's _activities. _Papers were strewn about, the surface of her desk was a complete wreck, and she was positive that the large dent in her office wall hadn't been there a few days ago.

_Damn that __Uchiha __Sasuke!_

The pink-haired woman let out another groan of displeasure and began the arduous task of cleaning up the total mess that was her office.

_BANG!!! _Sakura was startled when the door burst open and a grinning Yamanaka Ino ran inside the small room.

"Guess what today is Sakura?!"

Sakura's blank stare was a definite indication of her cluelessness.

"Oh c'mon Forehead Girl, it's not everyday that your best friend turns 21!"

"Oh my god, I can't believe I let that slip my mind. Sorry and happy birthday Ino-pig!"

"Don't worry about it girl…but hey what the hell happened in here? It looks like a tornado came through!"

"Oh nothing, I was just…you know rummaging around for a bunch of different files last night and it was pretty dark in here so…I knocked things over…and..well…" Sakura's faint blush seemed to indicate that she wasn't exactly telling the truth about what happened.

"Are you sure you weren't doing _inappropriate _things in here last night? Because that sure does look like a man's belt lying under your desk…."

"Oh that? That's just one of my patient's things….he must've left it after his um…_exam _yesterday."

Ino smiled devilishly, but decided to drop it for now. Sakura was just one those people that became painfully embarrassed when forced to discuss sexual matters.

"So Sakura, since you forgot my birthday I guess you'll just have to make it up to me tonight."

"Tonight?"

Ino smiled excitedly. "The whole gang is going out to that great dance club and we are gonna party like crazy!"

"Well I'm kind of supposed to be filling in for someone tonight at the hospital…."

Ino groaned dramatically. "You can't miss my—hey, wait a second…why are you here anyway? Today's your day off isn't it?"

Sakura tried in vain to hide the sheepish expression on her face. "Well there was an emergency with one of my Intensive Care patients so I had to come in and take care of it and—"

"Okay, that's enough! Tonight you are completely blowing this place off and relaxing for once. Seriously, I think the hospital can survive without you for like 5 hours. And I don't care what you had planned for later because tonight is my freaking birthday for crying out loud and we are going to drink, dance, and party with our friends!"

"But Ino I—"

"I'll come by your apartment at 9:30! Bye!" Grinning excitedly, Ino ran out the door leaving a flustered Haruno Sakura in her wake.

* * *

Naruto ducked expertly as multiple kunais whizzed past his head. Reaching into his pouch, he extracted a red scroll and performed the necessary hand seals to turn it into a large shuriken. 

_Take this __Sasuke!_

The steel weapon flew across the grassy expanse of the training field and appeared to directly hit its dark-haired target.

"I thought you could do a little better than _th__at_ Naruto."

Naruto groaned when he heard the mocking voice of Uchiha Sasuke behind him. The body struck by his shuriken vanished into a poof of smoke leaving his weapon lying useless on the grass.

The blonde-haired man turned around and glared at his sparring partner. "Let's try some hand to hand combat teme!" Without warning Naruto charged his friend and their limbs struck violently.

"So you're coming out tonight with the whole gang right?" Naruto ducked a punch to his head and tried to find a weak spot in his opponent's stance.

"Hn."

"You know sometimes you could answer with a 'yes' or a 'no' teme!"

Sasuke sent Naruto flying through the air with a staggering blow to his stomach and smirked when his body struck the ground. "You know sometimes you could actually block my attacks, _dobe_."

Naruto quickly lifted himself up and then counterattacked with a large wave of kage bunshins. As they were decimated one by one, he attempted to talk his friend into joining the social outing. "Sakura's going to be there if it makes any difference."

"It doesn't."

"You know you're a bastard for the way you treat her right?"

"Hn."

Their fists met again and the battle continued. Naruto aimed a kick for Sasuke's stomach and grinned when he sent his opponent skidding across the grass. As the Uchiha rose from his position on the ground, a Naruto kage bunshin appeared behind him and held a kunai to his throat.

The real Naruto laughed and walked towards his pinned friend. "Well you have two choices: One, agree to go tonight and I let you go unharmed. Or two, continue to be a total teme and I kill you!"

Sasuke smirked in response and Naruto was shocked when he felt the blade of a kunai against his own throat.

"Or three, I kick your ass."

Naruto cursed under his breath as he watched the Sasuke in front of him vanish in a poof of smoke. The real Sasuke had him pinned from behind.

Naruto sighed. _This was going to be a long match…_

* * *

"I _do not_ have a crush on Shino! I like girls…GIRLS!" The group of ninjas burst into laughter as a red-faced Inuzuka Kiba attempted to defend his sexuality. 

"Than why is our teasing _bugging _you so much_?"_Ino's jibe resulted in another bout of hysterical laughter amongst the men and women seated at the large booth in the back of the club.

"Oh screw you guys!" Kiba vacated his seat next to Sakura and made his way grumpily to the nearby bar.

The laughing group was packed into the circular booth, drinking, joking, and just enjoying the company of familiar friends. Sakura glanced around the table at love-struck Naruto and Hinata, the birthday girl Ino and her chip-eating boyfriend Chouji, the newly coupled Neji and Tenten, and lastly, a smiling Rock Lee. Of course not everyone was there, but at least most of the old rookies were able to join the celebration.

_Not him though…_

Sakura scanned the crowded dance floor and tried not to look for a certain raven-haired man who was currently nowhere to be found.

"So Chouji, where's Shikamaru at?"

Chouji swallowed a bite of food and turned towards Naruto. "Oh he's on a mission in Suna for a couple of days."

Ino smirked deviously. "I wonder if his _mission_ involves a certain kunoichi…"

"A kunoichi with a big-ass fan!" A collective chuckle passed throughout the group as they thought of lazy Shikamaru and his supposedly "troublesome" girlfriend Temari.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's loud yell shifted the group's focus away from the table towards the approaching ninja. "You actually came!"

Sakura tried to dismiss the way her heart fluttered when she caught a glimpse of the man with whom she had engaged in some not so innocent activities the night before. He walked up to the booth and scooted in next to her.

"Hey."

Naruto flagged down a waitress and demanded that another round be brought to their table at his expense. "I need to get everyone good and drunk tonight!"

"Oh calm down Naruto; everyone knows you'll be the first one to get totally sloshed!"

Before Naruto could respond to her teasing, Ino left the booth and made her way out onto the dance floor. "C'mon Chouji, come dance with me!"

"Sorry babe, not happening."

Ino rolled her eyes and turned next to her pink-haired best friend. "Forehead-girl…it's time to get your freak on! Get out here Sak!"

"Ino, I don't want to dance right now…can't you just—"

"Wait _who _was the person that forgot it was my birthday?"

"Oh, alright. You just _had _to bring that one up didn't you…" Shaking her head at Ino's childish ways, Sakura scooted over Sasuke and joined her friend out on the crowded dance floor. Their dancing was purposely fun and goofy, but the two beautiful women still attracted the notice of many of the men around them.

A few songs later, Naruto and Hinata joined them , followed by Chouji who fiinally complied to Ino's demands when she yelled out, "I won't cook for you for a week if you don't get your ass out here!"

Anxious for a partner of her own, Sakura looked up hopefully at Sasuke but saw that he was engaged in conversation with the equally serious Hyuuga Neji. She couldn't help but empathize with the bored and disgruntled Tenten that sat nearby the pair.

"Hey Tenten!" she called out across the room.

"Yea?"

"Why don't you drag your man out here?"

Neji glared in her direction, but Sakura simply shrugged good-naturedly.

_If I can get everyone to leave the table, maybe __Sasuke__-kun will come to…_

Tenten flashed Sakura a bright smile and then turned towards her boyfriend. "Please Neji? Just one song? And hey, they're putting on a slow one so all we have to do is move from side to side for 5 minutes."

Neji looked disgruntled, but allowed the grinning woman to lead him out onto the dance floor. Sakura again looked for Sasuke, but sighed dejectedly when she saw him being approached by a gorgeous, sexy woman.

_What else is new?_

The pink-haired woman was surprised however when he uncharacteristically brushed his fan-girl off.

_Maybe he's finally coming around! _

Unfortunately her view of the handsome Uchiha was temporarily obstructed when a smiling Rock Lee stood in front of her and bowed politely.

"Sakura-san, may I have the pleasure of this dance?"

* * *

Sasuke took a swig of the strong alcoholic beverage Naruto had placed in front of him earlier. He was sitting alone at the now vacated booth, watching his friends sway calmly to the slow music playing throughout the club. Well, if he was honest with himself, he was watching one _friend _in particular, as she danced with another man. 

His eyes narrowed as Sakura's hands looped around Rock Lee's neck and she moved closer to the fuzzy-browed ninja.

_I bet Fuzzy Brows is really enjoying this one. And he should, because this is the only time Sakura would ever let him touch her. _

He smirked to himself in self-satisfaction and watched as the dancing couple rotated around the floor. Sasuke could now see Lee's face, a nervous, yet overjoyed smile playing across the countenance of Konoha's self-proclaimed beautiful green beast.

_What a __dobe__…he has no idea what Sakura's really like. He thinks she's so sweet and innocent. __Hn__. He's never heard her cry out his name while he's thrusting int__o her tight—wait, what the fuck!_

Sasuke's smug thoughts were interrupted when he noticed Rock Lee's hands wonder from Sakura's waist to the intimate region of her lower back. He clenched his glass and locked his eyes on the dancing couple like they were a threatening enemy force.

_Fuzzy brows…_

Lee's right hand slid from Sakura's back to her hip and then retraced its path. Sasuke was clutching his glass so hard now that his hand was turning a deep shade of red.

_That jackass…who does he __think__ he is groping Sakura like that? Like she's his or something…_

A hot wave of jealousy passed through him and he involuntarily clenched his fists. _I should go over there and show that pansy who Sakura really belongs to…I should just kiss her right in front of—__woah__ cool it __Uchiha._

Sasuke ran a hand through his onyx hair and tried to calm his raging temper. _What is a matter with you tonight? Sakura c__an dance with whoever she wants…__ You know she's yours in the bedroom thoug__h. _Sasuke tried to smirk at his last thought, but it came out as more of a grimace.

_This is ridiculous._

Uchihas didn't lose their cool. And for some reason that he couldn't explain, he was.

* * *

Sakura looked around at other couples on the dance floor and tried to imagine that the man she was dancing with was Sasuke rather than Lee. It was harsh of her, she knew, but she just couldn't feel anything but friendship for Lee and anything but love for the Uchiha. 

She quelled the urge to slap Lee's hands away when they wandered a little too far south and instead tried to let him enjoy the closeness she knew he was reveling in. The song was drawing to a close now and she mentally sighed in relief. Lee rotated them around once more and Sakura chanced a glance over at the booth where Sasuke still sat.

_Sasuke__-kun?_

Sakura couldn't help but flinch when she saw the undisguised anger in his black eyes. But why was that anger directed towards _her_?

* * *

Sasuke glared at Sakura as their gazes met. He knew she saw his thinly veiled anger and he continued looking at her as her expression shifted from surprise to confusion. 

_Let her be confused, I don't give a fuck. I'm just angry that she's letting fuzzy-brows feel her up…if she wants to be like that then…I just thought she wasn't such a—"WHO LET THE DOGS OUT!!"_

Sasuke's thoughts and his eye contact with Sakura were disrupted when the slow song ended and a blaring "Who Let the Dog's Out" boomed over the speakers. Kiba, who had been chatting up some uninterested women at the bar suddenly let out a howl and practically ran out onto the floor. Sasuke smirked as a surprised Rock Lee was knocked to the ground as a result of Kiba's vigorous and somewhat violent dance moves.

"Kiba! What the hell?!"

Lee picked himself off of the ground and tried to get the crazy dog-man's attention.

"Who let the dogs out? Who, who, who, who…!" Kiba simply howled along with his favorite tune in response.

Shaking their heads, Neji and Tenten vacated the dance floor and joined Sasuke back at the booth.

"So Kiba's really lost it huh?"

Tenten nodded her head in agreement with her boyfriend's observation and took a swig of her drink. "Woah! I didn't know he knew how to do the worm!"

"That's _not _the worm Tenten…he's humping the ground."

Tenten's hysterical laughter was soon joined by Naruto's as he and a frightened-looking Hinata made their way back to the table.

"Look at that freak go! I've never seen anyone do the worm like that…"

The rest of the group shook their heads and let Naruto remain clueless as always. Chouji and Ino soon joined them and Ino again amused her friends with jabs about Kiba's sexuality.

"I bet he's imagining the floor is Shino!"

Sasuke glanced back toward the dance floor and saw that Rock Lee was attempting to stop Kiba's energetic movements, while a wary-looking Sakura stood close by. The whole booth erupted into laughter when Lee was again thrown to the ground by Kiba's flailing limbs in what was a sorry attempt at break-dancing.

"Ooo…that's got to hurt!"

Tenten finished off the rest of her drink and yelled across the floor at her old rookie teammate. "Get up Lee! Use your blossom of youth to aid you in your struggle!"

Lee sent a scathing glare her way.

"Oh c'mon Lee…if you don't get up right now you'll have to dance with Kiba the rest of the night!" She shot him the infamous "nice-guy pose" and then burst into hysterics with the rest of her friends.

Sakura helped Lee up and then supported him to a nearby seat at the bar. The fuzzy-browed man slumped into the chair and put his head down on the surface in front of him. Sasuke smirked to himself. _That's what he gets for messing with my __Sak__—my friend._

To the relief of everyone out on the floor, Who Let the Dogs Out faded away and was replaced by a song that had no mention of canines whatsoever.

Kiba growled in frustration. "What the hell dj? That was my jam!"

The dj simply flicked him off in response. Disgruntled, Kiba trudged back to the booth and sat down amidst his laughing friends.

"Ow ow Kiba! Those were some hot moves out there!"

"You only wish you could've been out there with me Ino …"

"Oh you wish dog-boy!"

Sasuke listened to the playful banter continue and looked to see if Sakura was coming back to their table anytime soon. He saw her shock of pink hair as it moved through the crowded dance floor and he smirked when he saw it turn towards his direction.

_Of course she can't stay away for too long. _

Sasuke took a leisurely swig of his drink and winked at a smiling beauty that waltzed by his table.

"Hey guys look! Sakura's getting her freak on with a total hottie! Wooh!" Ino's obnoxious call caused everyone's gaze, including Sasuke's, to shift to the dance floor where Sakura was dancing with a tall, dark-haired man. Sasuke gritted his teeth and quelled the sudden, overwhelming urge to dismember the man who currently had his hands on Sakura's hips.

"Yea Sakura, shake what your mama gave you!"

Ino's annoying catcalls only grated on Sasuke's nerves and he downed the rest of his drink in one long gulp. _It's only Sakura_, he reminded himself, _I'm just being protective of my friend. This alcohol is throwing me off, that's all. _

_It's not like I'm __**jealous**…_

* * *

Sakura moved her body to the beat of the song and glanced up at the handsome man in front of her. 

"You're a great dancer sweetheart."

Blushing under his somewhat hungry gaze, Sakura attempted to keep the small gap between them from closing. She enjoyed dancing with men of course, but _grindin__g _wasn't really her thing. This held especially true when her partner was someone she just met, as was the case now.

All of a sudden the man moved around so that he was behind her and grabbed her hips. He grinded into her provocatively and Sakura, taken aback, momentarily froze.

"You know, I'm actually kind of tired…maybe I'll just go sit down with my friends."

"No, don't do that beautiful…"

Sakura tried to be polite and simply step out of his grasp, but he reached for her again and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "C'mon sweetheart" he whispered huskily in her ear, "Move with me." With that he grinded into her roughly, his erection noticeable against her back.

_Ewwww__…._

"Sakura, there you are."

A cool male voice caused her to look up. Sakura was surprised when she found herself staring into the onyx eyes of Uchiha Sasuke.

"I've been looking all over for you."

Sakura cocked her head questioningly and was surprised when Sasuke gave her a brief wink. Snaking his arms around her waist, he nudged the other man away roughly. Sakura heard the man curse at the Uchiha as he was torn away from her body, but she was so shocked by Sasuke's behavior that she didn't care in the least.

"Hey man, we were dancing here!"

Sasuke spared the angry man a glare and then addressed the pink-haired woman he currently held wrapped in his arms. "Sakura, sweetheart, do you know this creep?"

Surprised at Sasuke's endearment, Sakura composed herself and decided to play along. "Just having a dance honey."

The other man huffed loudly and made another grab for the beautiful woman with whom he had been dancing with moments ago. Before he could however, Sasuke pulled Sakura flush against him and crashed his lips down on hers.

Sakura's eyes widened in shock, but soon closed as Sasuke deepened the kiss. Tangling her hands in his hair, she began to forget that they were in full view of everyone around them, that they weren't alone. The man that she had been dancing with made a growling noise and stalked away across the dance floor.

_Sasuke__-kun, __if only this__ wasn't just for effect. If only__ you were doing this because you really wanted to…_

A few seconds later, Sasuke broke the kiss, but his warm hands remained wrapped firmly around her waist. The bass of the loud music thudded in the background and seemed to match Sakura's own frantic heartbeat.

Green eyes met black.

"Dance with me."

* * *

"Naruto, what are you staring at?" 

"Sasuke and Sakura…they're dancing."

"Dancing?"

"Sasuke doesn't dance."

"I guess he does now…"

Naruto's mouth quirked into a small smile.

_Maybe he finally sees what's been there all along._

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura walked together down the quiet street and listened to the fading sounds of their boisterous friends. The group had left the club a few minutes ago and now everyone was traveling home to their respective dwellings for some much needed rest. 

The Uchiha and the green-eyed woman next to him naturally ended up walking home together because of the close proximity of their apartments and Sasuke liked it this way. Having to walk around with an annoying loudmouth like Naruto or Kiba would be just plain unbearable. Plus, he liked knowing that Sakura was safe and sound; a fact that he could assure whenever he dropped her off at her door.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn?"

"Thanks for helping me out with that creep back in the club."

Sasuke suddenly felt annoyed with her. "You shouldn't have been dancing with him anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sakura paused in the street and looked up questioningly at the man beside her.

"He was a jackass…you should've known better."

"Why do _you_ care so much?"

Sasuke was thrown off.

"You could at least answer me." Sakura's irritation was visibly growing and Sasuke took a step back; he didn't want to be on the receiving end of her wrath anytime soon.

"Sakura, it's getting late. Let's go home."

The pink-haired woman stared at him for a moment and then nodded. "Hai."

They walked on in silence and yet Sasuke felt closer to her than perhaps ever before. The silence was familiar, even comfortable.

Sasuke stiffened when their hands brushed accidentally, sending tingles of warmth across his fingertips.

_Her hands are__ soft._

"Sasuke-kun? We're at my apartment building."

The dark-haired man looked around as if just now realizing his surroundings. He glanced down at Sakura and watched her pull her keys from a small purse.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around Sasuke-kun."

She turned around and took a step towards the door.

A stilling hand on her wrist pulled her back.

"Sakura…wait."

Her breath caught in her throat when Sasuke reached a hand up to her face and tenderly cupped her cheek.

Their bodies moved in closer and closer.

He could see the flecks of gold in her emerald green irises.

"Sasu—"

Their lips met tentatively, softly.

His mouth moving gently against hers, Sasuke reached his hand behind her neck and pulled her head closer. It was a chaste, non-sexual kiss and yet it was filled with something powerful.

_Hope?_

Smiling prettily, Sakura pulled away from his eager lips and placed a hand on his chest to stop him from advancing.

"I think you should go."

Sasuke found his lips quirking into what could've almost been called a smile. "I could stay…"

"Goodnight Sasuke-kun."

The Uchiha watched her fumble with her keys and walk across the threshold of her apartment building. Before she closed the door, she turned around and smiled at him.

_It made him feel weak. _

He was left staring at the faded door, feeling unexpectedly empty.

_I could stay…_

He never asked to stay. He never let anyone have control over what he did. He never left himself _open. _

_I could stay..._

Sasuke walked down the street and tried to think of a reason why he felt so warm inside. Sakura's smile, the feel of her soft, plush lips against his own, the sensations continued to linger.

_Relax. _

_It's just Sakura. It was just a kiss._

He smirked. _A completely innocent__ one at that.__ Some of the kisses__ we've had before would make this one seem boring even._

But as he continued to walk down the empty street one thought still plagued his mind.

_If it was just Sakura and it was just a ki__ss, why did it feel like something__ more? _

* * *

**AN: **So do you think Sasuke's ready to finally drop his player status and commit to Sakura? Hmm...I guess you'll just have to wait for Chapter Four to find out! Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read my story and I would definitely appreciate a review. Whether you love it or completely hate it, please let me know what you think! I really do read your reviews and take your ideas/feelings into consideration when I write. 

Take care :)

Oh and is anyone as excited as I am about the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this weekend?!!!


	5. Chapter Four

**AN**: To all who reviewed, you amazing people are the reason why I stay up until all hours of the night trying to make this story somewhat readable! To all who didn't review, well, you still have a chance to redeem yourselves :P

I'm so sorry for the wait...after reading Deathly Hallows (which was totally awesome!!), Harry Potter was just all I could think about for a while. Oh and I hope you don't mind some angst, because it comes in heavy doses at some points! I just couldn't help myself, they were begging for it after my last light-hearted chapter XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter Four_

The first bite of Sakura's homemade Katsudon Donburi was always the best. The tender pork cutlets served atop steaming rice along with eggs and onion, made for a delicious meal. It was just too bad that she had no one to share it with.

Sighing heavily, Sakura used a chopstick to move a lone piece of pork from the side of her bowl to the top of the rice mound.

_I wonder what __Sasuke__-kun is up to…_

Unconsciously her thoughts drifted to the night at the club when Sasuke had been so uncharacteristically thoughtful and open. The kiss they'd shared had especially affected her and reflected a different side of him; a side that seemed unlike his usual arrogant and egotistical self. But that had been more than a week ago and she hadn't seen Sasuke since.

Did he regret his actions? Was he sleeping with other women again? Women that weren't _her_?

It hurt Sakura to think that way, but to be honest with herself, she knew that Sasuke was probably satiating his desires elsewhere. An image of him kissing an impossibly beautiful woman filled her mind and left her with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Her carefully prepared food suddenly seemed _very_ unappetizing.

Standing up resignedly, Sakura dumped the uneaten contents of her bowl into the trash and made her way to the living room. With a practiced motion, she threw herself down upon the small couch and laid back against the soft cushions.

_I'm pathetic. _

From her position on the couch, she was at the perfect vantage point to view the old Team 7 photo on the shelf above the television. Instinctively, her eyes fell upon the disgruntled face of twelve-year-old Uchiha Sasuke and then moved to the smiling pink-haired girl next to him.

_I was so clueless back then. _

Though she usually drew comfort from the familiar photo, today twelve-year-old Sakura's grinning face seemed to mock her. How could she have been so happy back then when Sasuke paid her no attention at all and so miserable now that they were quite intimately involved?

_Because even though we have sex, he doesn't love me._

A memory of the night when they had first slept together suddenly invaded her thoughts and along with it, a more painful memory of the morning after. Her mind flashed through images of waking up alone, realizing he had left, and then finding that horrible note.

_Last night was a mistake. I don't love you Sakura. _

Sorrow threatened to drown her as she remembered Sasuke's words.

**_I don't love you..._**

Suppressing the sob that rose up in her throat, Sakura buried her face in the couch cushion and tried to will her sadness away.

_I'm better than this. I deserve someone who will love me back, someone who will give me the devotion I need. _

Feelings of shame and self-recrimination overwhelmed her and she couldn't keep her mind from focusing the blame on herself.

_I'm a slut! I give myself to him, when I could say no! _

_Slut, slut, SLUT! _

Tears began to run down Sakura's cheeks and she made no effort to wipe them away. Unexpectedly a hot wave of anger ran throughout her body and left her with a sudden need to take action. She wanted, no _needed _to end this childlike obsession with Uchiha Sasuke. Clenching her fists in firm resolve, Sakura raised herself up and off the couch and wiped the wetness from her cheeks.

_Sasuke__ only cares about the physical aspect of our relationship; he'll never want anything more. He'll never love me. _

Saying the words, even in her head was painful and it took all her strength to take the next step.

_From here on out, our sexual relationship is over. It's the best thing for me and I think that maybe it's really time to move on. _

With a last glance at the old picture of Team 7, Sakura left the living room and walked toward the door. As she turned the doorknob, a last, fleeting thought of the black-haired man entered her mind and threatened to weaken her resolve.

Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, Sakura wrenched the door open and walked confidently into the hallway. She paused a second and then firmly closed the door; it was as if she was shutting it on him, her past, and any hopes that she had harbored for their future together.

_It's time to move on._

With a small smile to herself, Sakura turned her back on the door and stared straight ahead.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you will no longer control my life."

* * *

If Sakura had known what Sasuke was thinking about at that exact same moment, she might have felt differently. 

Standing in the shower, the black-haired man let the hot spray pelt on his back in an attempt to ease his stress-filled body and mind. He felt like he wasn't going anywhere, like his goals were no longer in sight. At the thought of goals, his mind unwillingly flashed back to a day years ago when Kakashi had asked him and the rest of Team 7 what their plans for the future were.

_To kill a certain man and to revive my clan._

Sasuke put a soapy hand against the wall and leaned in toward the tiled surface.

_Revive my clan…_

He hadn't really thought about it back then, but rebuilding a clan involved having children, which usually meant having a wife as well.

_A wife?__Hn__. Not happening anytime soon huh __Uchiha?_

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk to himself as he realized how far he had come from the simple goals of his childhood. He was no closer to starting a family than he had been at age 12! His life consisted of missions, friends, and nights with women whose names he could scarcely remember.

Sasuke turned and faced the cascading water head on. _Maybe it's time to make a change…_

Unbidden, an image of bright green eyes and soft pink hair flooded his mind.

_Sakura._

She had been clouding his thoughts a lot lately. But why? Sasuke made sure the last traces of soap were gone from his body before he turned off the tap and watched the remaining water spiral down the drain.

Sakura was a loyal friend and she understood him probably as well as anyone could. Those shallow women he so frequently spent his nights with weren't trustworthy companions and they definitely didn't know anything about him. It made his pink-haired teammate, well _ex_-teammate, seem so much more…more…desirable? In truth, Sasuke really didn't know what he felt. Over the past week, he had been overwhelmed with confusing emotions and he hadn't been able to identify what it was that was perplexing him so. All he knew was that he wanted something different, something new.

Again, his thoughts settled on Sakura. The memory of her lips against his ignited his senses and made his body strain with a feeling of _need. _

_Yes, maybe it i__s time for a change…_

* * *

The warm breeze outside tickled Sakura's cheeks and she welcomed the refreshing gusts gladly. Dressed in a simple skirt and blouse, the pink-haired woman walked leisurely down the street and made her way toward Konoha's hospital. 

Having to work was a relief, really. Injured shinobis, civilian patients, and mountains of paper work were just what she needed to take her mind off of a certain Uchiha. She had already determined that she was through with that arrogant, cold, selfish, sexy—wait, scratch that last!

Sakura mentally kicked herself. Oh yes, work would be a most welcome distraction.

Rounding a corner, the medic nin was surprised to see Hyuuga Hinata admiring the display in a shop window. "Hinata, hey!"

The white-eyed woman shifted her gaze from the window and smiled when she saw who had called her. "Sakura! How are you?"

"Well I'm still living so I guess I can't complain." The two friends chuckled and began walking together.

"So are you off to the hospital?"

"Of course. What about you?"

Hinata blushed and twirled a strand of her violet hair around her finger. "I was actually out shopping for a gift for Naruto-kun. I thought it would be nice to give him something before the wedding. Just a small reminder that I-I well...appreciate him."

Sakura's mouth turned upwards in a small smile and she touched her friend's arm affectionately.

"Naruto's so lucky to have you. Just don't let him forget it! When he's asking you to make ramen for him every meal of the day don't hesitate to slap him around a little and make him behave!"

Hinata giggled softly and a pretty blush spread across her pale face. The pair continued on down the street and Sakura felt glad to have company. She was alone too often nowadays and she isolated herself far too much. Having someone to talk to was refreshing and if she was completely honest with herself, long overdue.

When they reached the apartment building where Naruto lived, Hinata stopped them.

"Well Sakura, I'd love to talk with you more, but Naruto's expecting me for dinner."

"Okay well have a nice evening and we should really get together for lunch sometime."

"Of course. Oh and I forgot to tell you, but Naruto and I are planning on having a pre-wedding dinner soon, and we'd love if you could make it. It'll just be the usual group, you know, Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru, Neji, and the rest of the gang."

Sakura nodded her head. "That sounds great Hinata! I'll definitely be there. Talk to you later."

"Bye Sakura!"

The two women parted and Sakura once again resumed her walk to the nearby hospital. A nice dinner with friends sounded very appealing. And knowing Naruto, there'd be plenty of great food and drink to replace the bland entrees she usually had for her evening meal. Maybe they'd even have some of that great Kitsune Udon that she loved! Mmm, she could just taste those savory noodles and chunks of fish.

Sakura was so distracted by thoughts of delectable dishes and charming cocktails that she completely missed seeing the tall, black-haired man walk out of the store in front of her.

* * *

Sasuke didn't think of himself as particularly noticeable, but he had to admit that he was very surprised when a distracted looking Sakura walked right past him without even acknowledging his presence. 

_Is she upset with me or something?_

The Uchiha furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion and walked quickly to catch up with the pink haired woman in front of him. Extending a hand forward, Sasuke tapped her lightly on the shoulder. He smirked when she flinched roughly in surprise and nearly dropped the purse she was carrying.

"Don't hurt yourself Haruno."

Sakura turned around quickly and her wide eyes conveyed how surprised she was to see him.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun…what're you doing out here?"

"Talking to you."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his sarcasm and joined him as he continued walking down the street.

"I'm going to work so I don't really have time to—"

"Come out with me tonight."

Sakura's mouth hung open, gaping in surprise at his unexpected statement.

"Out? With you?"

"Tonight."

Sasuke focused his dark eyes on her face and seemed to be trying to read her thoughts.

_Why does she seem so skeptical?_

Sakura swallowed and shook her head of pink hair from side to side. "I-I can't Sasuke-kun, I have to work. At the hospital. You know, I do the doctor thing…"

"Tomorrow night then."

Sakura blinked rapidly and again shook her head 'no'.

"Sorry, but I'm busy."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and it was apparent that he was growing annoyed with her.

_What'__s a matter with Sakura? She never says no to me._

He took a step toward the green-eyed woman and placed a hand on the wall behind her. Her frustrating behavior caused him to unconsciously shift into the "sexy and domineering" mode he usually employed to get women to do what he wanted.

"Busy? Too busy to make time for _me_?"

His seductive tone visibly affected Sakura and her eyelashes fluttered as her gaze shifted up to his.

"Sasuke-kun I—"

"I know you want me."

"No, I really need to—"

Sasuke placed another hand beside her head, trapping her between his body and the wall.

"Just go out with me tonight."

Sakura seemed to be fighting some kind of inner battle as she clutched her purse tightly in her hands and tried not to meet Sasuke's lust-filled eyes.

"I can't."

His face moved in closer to hers. "Just say yes."

"I really can't."

His lips were far too close. "We both know you can."

"No."

With a sudden movement, Sakura skirted under his arm and took a step away from his body. "I told you Sasuke-kun, _I'm busy_."

And with that, the pink-haired medic nin turned around and briskly walked away. Sasuke was left staring after her retreating form in a mixture of shock and anger.

_Whe__re the hell had __that come from?_

* * *

_You did the right thing. You did the right thing. You did the RIGHT THING!_

Sakura ran her fingers through her hair and tried not to dwell on the unexpected meeting she had suffered through only a few hours ago. He had asked her on a date. Well at least it had sounded like one anyway.

_Come out with me tonight._

Yes, while it had been more of a command than a request, it had been an offer for a date nonetheless. So why the heck had she said no?!

Sakura placed both elbows atop her desk and let her face fall pitifully into her hands. _I said no because it was the right thing to do remember? But it was **Sasuke** __! He's never asked you on a real date before!_

The downtrodden woman smashed her face further into her hands and tried again to talk some sense into herself.

_He__ might have been asking me out on a date, but I know what he was **really** __asking for. _

Unbidden, images of a sweaty, clothing-less Sasuke hovering atop her invaded Sakura's thoughts and threatened to topple all semblances of reason.

_Yes, he was definitely wanting more than a date tonight…_

It was probably a good thing that a knock on her office door disrupted her thoughts and brought her back to the real world.

"Come in."

The door swung open and an attractive man clutching a clipboard grinned at her from the doorway. "Dr. Haruno, we need you in the Emergency Room."

"What's the situation Hitoshi?"

"Oh you know, just the usual. Some Anbu guy on the verge of certain death who needs the wonder-doctor to save him."

The corners of Sakura's lips quirked up as she regarded her subordinate Takuda Hitoshi. Hitoshi was a doctor as well, but with less experience than she. He had joined the Konoha hospital staff 6 months earlier and had been placed under Sakura's supervision while he learned the ropes. Although she was technically his superior, the nearness in their ages and the natural chemistry between them allowed the two to become fast friends.

Reaching across her desk, Sakura grabbed a few pins and used them to clip her hair back from her face. "Lead the way Hitoshi."

The brown-haired man flashed another one of his disarming grins and nodded. Together, they exited the small office and made their way toward the Emergency Room.

* * *

_She has nice legs. __Long and muscular, yet soft and smooth looking too.__ I wonder where that scar on her ankle came __from?_

"Hitoshi?"

Startled out of his daydreaming, the befuddled man met the gaze of a slightly annoyed Haruno Sakura.

"Wha-What?"

Sakura let out a sigh. "I've asked you to hand me the patient's file like 5 times now."

"Oh…sorry about that. I was just—" _Shamelessly ogling your gorgeous legs? _"—_distracted_ for a moment."

Hitoshi let out a nervous chuckle and handed her the clipboard he had been holding for the past 10 minutes. "Here you go. That has all of his past medical history on it, as well as the account of how he attained his injuries."

"Thanks 'Toshi."

The blue-eyed man smiled at the use of his nickname and absently ran a hand through his short-cropped brown hair.

_Anything for you Sakura._

He looked on as Sakura tended the badly mauled Anbu with gentle hands and a soothing voice.

_She's just so perfect. _

He hadn't wanted to admit it to himself a month ago, but he was quite enamored with the beautiful doctor. She was funny, highly intelligent, and not to mention quite easy on the eyes. Her caring and committed attitude toward her patients was also very endearing and inspired Hitoshi to exhibit the same behavior as a doctor.

"Hitoshi can you go and get Nurse Keiko for me? The patient will need a capable nurse tending him throughout the night and Keiko's had experience with these kinds of injuries before."

Hitoshi gave an affirming nod and made a move for the door.

"Oh and 'Toshi?"

"Yea?"

"We should meet in the break room for dinner tonight. How about in a half hour?"

Glad that his back was facing Sakura and she couldn't see his blushing face, the brown-haired man nodded rapidly. "Sounds great."

* * *

The hospital break room was empty save for a dozing nurse leaning back heavily in one of the orange chairs. Sakura let out a small smile. Everyone in the hospital seemed to be working just as hard as she was. 

Sitting down at a small table, the exhausted doctor closed her eyes for a moment and waited for Hitoshi to join her. It didn't take long before Sakura heard the door open behind her and a smiling brown-haired man plopped into the chair in front of hers.

"You look tired Sakura."

"Oh I'm fine. I just need some food, that's all."

Hitoshi nodded and pulled out a small bento box, while Sakura did the same. Together they ate their respective meals quickly and without much conversation. When they were both finished, Sakura raised her arms above her head and stretched her tired muscles.

When she glanced at Hitoshi, she was surprised to find him staring at her with an odd expression on his face.

"Hitoshi what is it?"

The man in question flushed scarlet. "Oh nothing…I…I…well…nothing."

_What is up with him tonight? _

"Are you sure because you're acting really strange."

Hitoshi's eyes darted around nervously and he seemed to be fighting some kind of battle within himself.

"No, no, everything's fine. I'm just tired."

Sakura nodded slowly, but her expression betrayed how disbelieving she was of his excuse. Suddenly, Hitoshi's gaze shifted above her head and fell upon a person who had just entered the room.

"Hitoshi, we need to you come down to Room 109 for a minute. Just a small issue with one of your regular patients."

Hitoshi nodded and Sakura heard the door close as the other person left. Muttering a small apology, the young doctor rose from his chair and made his way toward the exit. Sakura couldn't help but turn around and stop him.

"Hey, are you sure everything's alright?"

Hitoshi let out a small sigh and seemed to be resolving an issue in his mind. "Actually Sakura, I wanted to ask if you wanted to…well if you would possibly consider…going on a…date with me?"

He flushed bright red and his right hand played nervously with a string on the end of his shirt. Sakura blushed as well and her eyes widened in surprise.

_Do I really want to go out with him? I mean he's nice and all, but…_

"Oh Hitoshi…um I really don't—"

"Oh that's fine Sakura, I understand. I just thought that…well I better go check on that patient. I'll come back when I'm finished."

He turned on the spot and rushed quickly out of the break room. Sakura shook her head and leaned back in her chair. Hitoshi had obviously thought that she was refusing him.

_And I was wasn't I? _

* * *

Hitoshi wasn't the only one suffering from a rejection from Haruno Sakura. 

Sasuke sat in the living room of his apartment still seething about his friend's odd behavior. Why had she rejected him? What was so important that it couldn't have been ditched for a date with the infamous Uchiha Sasuke? Could she be seeing another man?

_All I wanted was to go out to dinner with her. I wasn't asking for an all night sex fest!_

Even in his anger, Sasuke couldn't contain his smirk.

_Well, maybe the night might have culminated in some pleasurable activities back at my apartment..._

But it really didn't matter now because Sakura had acted completely unlike herself and simply blown him off! He was trying to make a change in his life and yet everything was disrupting his plans. Sakura was supposed to agree to a date tonight and then he was supposed to see what it felt like just…well…_being with her. _

_This is so annoying. **She** __is so annoying. _

Staring impassively at the TV, Sasuke decided that there was only one solution to his problem.

_I'll just have to make her do what I want._

* * *

Sakura's mind was torn. Still sitting in the same spot in the break room, the pink-haired woman just couldn't decide what she wanted to do about Hitoshi's offer. 

_Should I say yes? He is a nice guy and I really like him…but…_

She looked down at her hands and sighed in resignation.

_He just isn't __Sasuke__-kun. _

The admission filled her with sadness and self-loathing. It seemed like everything always came back to Uchiha Sasuke and the power he had over her.

_But it's different now! I'm moving on, moving forward! _

Sakura felt a sense of strength rise up in her and she nodded her head in determination. Sasuke was a thing of the past now and well, she supposed that Hitoshi could be a part of her future.

_I'm moving forward…_

Sakura heard the door open, signaling Hitoshi's return. She was glad that her back was to the door and he couldn't see her momentary panicked expression.

_Just do it Sakura._

She locked her gaze on the wall and set her jaw in steely resolve.

"Okay, I've decided. I _will_ go on a date with you!"

Upon hearing a strangled sounding gasp, Sakura turned around in her chair and met the eyes of the man standing in front of her.

_Oh god… _

She was forced to quell the sudden, overwhelming urge to throw up. Standing in the doorway, his mouth gaping open in complete shock, was the one and only Rock Lee.

_Bad timing is such a bitch sometimes…_

* * *

**AN: **You know what else is a bitch? Writer's block! I mean, writing is just really hard sometimes... Well anyway, thanks for reading my humble story and I hope the absence of SasuSaku interaction didn't bother anyone _too_ much. There _is_ this annoying thing called plot, that just has to be developed sometimes and though it really bugged me to do it, I had to work on character development and all that boring stuff. But never fear! There is some definite SasuSaku action coming in the future...maybe even a lemon, if you guys beg me enough...hehe :) 

Review, review, review!

_Coming Soon...Will Sakura really go out with Konoha's Green Beast?!!! Or will Sasuke save the day? _


	6. Chapter Five

**AN: **Yo! I think I might have updated a little quicker than last time, so I hope that makes everyone happy! A million thanks go out to all who reviewed; you have no idea how encouraging it is to hear that people actually enjoy my ideas :P

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter Five_

The bright moonlight filtered through the open window and illuminated the sleeping form of a slender, beautiful woman. Her hair splayed across the cottony surface of her pillow in tresses of softness and light pink. She was an enchanting sight to behold, a doll-like figure whose chest rose and fell with each of her slow breaths.

Uchiha Sasuke couldn't help but be affected by the image he observed through the open window. Asleep, Sakura was the very image of innocence and purity; things he had selfishly corrupted in her years ago. As he watched her, he felt like he was witnessing something important, yet something he didn't fully grasp.

_I need to get moving or I'll be late._

He had a mission to attend to and his comrades were surely wondering where he was. Uchiha Sasuke was always punctual and early more often than not. But tonight had been different. As he had leapt from roof to roof, he had been drawn to one open window, with its white curtains fluttering gently in what seemed to be a beckoning motion.

It was _Sakura__'s_ window.

_I need to go. __Now._

Sakura shifted in her sleep and turned her face toward the window. Sasuke froze in mid-movement and his eyes fell upon her plump, pink lips. He had kissed them many times before, but they never seemed to lose their appeal.

_If I could just stay a little longer…_

His grip tightened on the balcony railing and he shook his head.

_Stop this. You have a mission to do. Women can wait until later. _

"Sasuke-kun..."

The black-haired shinobi started violently and whipped his head toward the open window, expecting to see Sakura's wide, shocked eyes. "Sakura…I-I…"

He was surprised to see her in the same position as before; still sleeping soundly amongst her soft pillows and blankets. Cautiously, he moved toward the fluttering curtains and lifted the window higher. Without making a sound, Sasuke entered the moonlit room and moved close to the bed.

_Why did she say my name? _

Sakura mumbled indistinctly and Sasuke leaned forward in an attempt to hear her words.

"Sasuke-kun…please…don't leave…please…"

Sakura's once passive face contorted into an expression of sadness and pain. She shifted about somewhat violently and again repeated his name in her throaty voice. Sasuke couldn't help but grow more curious and he moved even closer, his knees bumping against the edge of the bed.

_What is she dreaming about? _

"I…I…Sasuke-kun…stay."

_Sakura?_

"I love you Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke's breath seemed to constrict in his throat and he felt himself moving onto the mattress, his hands coming to rest on Sakura's upper arms. And yet, she still didn't wake, didn't stir from her slumber.

"Please Sasuke-kun! Stay with me!"

She thrashed about violently and he had to pull his weight on top of her body in order to hold her down.

"Sakura, wake up! I'm here, I'm not leaving."

"Sasuke-kun, I love you more than anything!"

Sasuke clutched her close and buried his face in her hair. She wasn't waking and he felt like his heart was about to fly out of his chest from beating so hard.

"Wake up right now Sakura!"

"Love you…Sasuke…kun."

He felt like he was falling toward her faster and faster. The walls around him were getting blurry, only her face was clear. Only her.

"Sakura…I…I lo—"

With a start, Sasuke sat up on his bedroll, sweat dripping off of his handsome face and muscular torso.

_Fuck! _

His eyes shifted around the canvas tent and fell upon the sleeping forms of the two other ninjas a few feet away. Wiping the sweat from his brow with a somewhat shaky hand, the Uchiha lifted himself off of his bedroll and made his way out into the inky blackness of the night.

_What the hell was up with that dream? It seemed so real…_

Shaking his head, Sasuke walked toward the remains of their small fire from hours ago and kicked at a charred stump with the toe of his shoe. The dream had unsettled him more than he cared to admit. Sakura telling him that she wanted him to stay, to never leave, that she…loved him, it was disconcerting.

_And what was I about to tell her__ before I woke up? _

A snapping twig from behind cleared all thoughts of Sakura from his head. Ninja reflexes kicking into action, Sasuke pulled a kunai from a side pocket and turned to face the approaching presence.

"Sasuke-sama? Is everything alright?"

The Uchiha lowered his weapon and relaxed his stance. It was only Taimu, one of the other Konoha Jounins assigned to the mission.

"We should leave now…go wake Ryuuma."

Taimu nodded his blonde head and walked noiselessly back to the tent. Glancing up at the star-strewn sky, Sasuke drew in a deep breath and attempted to clear his mind of all that was plaguing him. The mission was to eliminate a large band of thieves that had been terrorizing a small village on the outskirts of Fire Country. The journey only took about a day to complete, but Sasuke knew the odds would be in their favor if they could attack the bandits under cover of nightfall.

Taimu and Ryuuma joined him a few moments later and together they sped off into the dark forest. As Sasuke's feet pounded upon the bark-covered branches, his mind again strayed to the memory of Sakura's sleeping form and her voice telling him that she loved him, needed him.

_I can't afford a distraction like this right now._

"Sasuke-sama, look out!"

Even with Taimu's warning, Sasuke narrowly avoided hitting his head on a large, overhanging limb.

_Dammit__! I'm not focusing…_

Ryuuma's stocky form appeared next to him and Sasuke saw the confused expression on the other man's face. "Sasuke…what's going on?"

Sasuke grimaced in annoyance and fought down the desire to tell the other ninja to mind his own fucking business.

"Nothing's wrong…I'm just distracted at the moment."

"Anything I can help you with?"

Sasuke smirked and shook his head no. _Unless you can tell me why I can't stop thinking about __Haruno__ Sakura, there's nothing you can do._

* * *

Sakura really hated herself. Correction, she _despised _herself. Hate didn't justify the intense feelings of loathing she felt for the situation she had gotten herself into. It was just terrible and really, it was all her fault. 

Why, one might ask? Well let's see, Rock Lee thought she was in love with him, Hitoshi most likely hated her guts, and Sasuke, well, she really didn't know what he thought, but she was sure that his opinion of her wasn't too high.

_God, what did I do to deserve this?_

She hadn't meant to agree to a date with Lee two days ago, it had resulted from a stupid fluke in the break room. But fluke or not, she was in deep trouble and there was nothing she could do about it. She couldn't have said no to Lee after finally fulfilling his greatest wish. It would've been much too cruel.

But what about Hitoshi?

He had walked in a few moments after Rock Lee and had been forced to endure Lee's energetic proclamations of "I have a date with Sakura-san!" accompanied by some rather embarrassing poetry about Sakura's beautiful blossom of youth. Hitoshi had spared Sakura one pained glance, before promptly excusing himself from the obviously unbearable situation.

_Poor '__Toshi._

Pacing around her bedroom distractedly, Sakura attempted to forget Histoshi's disappointed face. She grabbed her hairbrush and ran it through her pink hair, wincing when the bristles caught a small snag in the usually silky strands.

_Ouch! Stupid hair…I should just call Lee and tell him I'm too tired __to go __or __I'm sick or how about, I tell him that as much as I love his love-struck puppy behavior, I'd rather be with an arrogant jerk that only wants me for sex!_

Catching her reflection in the mirror, Sakura felt ashamed at thinking so unfeelingly toward a man who only regarded her with the utmost devotion and sincerity. It wasn't necessarily _his _fault that he came on a little strong sometimes…

_Just suck it up and go to the festival with him! It won't kill you to be selfless once in a while._

Sighing in resignation, Sakura added a smooth sheen of lipgloss to her lips and attempted to smile at her reflection. Tonight, she would swallow her pride and walk around Konoha's annual festival with Rock Lee.

_Who knows, maybe it will help me stop thinking about __Sasuke__-kun for a few hours?_

At the thought of Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura's expression turned somewhat wistful. He had asked her out the same day she had inadvertently agreed to a date with Lee and in an uncharacteristic display of resistance, Sakura had refused him.

_Don't think about him! This is not the time to dwell on past __mista__—__Turning down __Sasuke__-kun wasn't a __mistake,__ it was the right thing to do. _

Tugging on the soft, flowing fabric of her pastel-colored skirt, Sakura walked out of her bedroom and grabbed her purse from the kitchen counter. Though she wasn't supposed to meet Lee for another 35 minutes, the green-eyed woman just couldn't stand being in her apartment any longer.

_I just need some fresh air to clear my thoughts and prepare myself for my date with Lee._

_Yup, fresh air…that's why I left my apartment. It wasn't like I was afraid I might not be able to force myself to__ go meet Lee__ if I stayed any longer…_

* * *

Rock Lee wasn't nervous. He had been ready for this glorious day for nearly 8 years now. The day when he, Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast, would take Haruno Sakura out on their first date. 

_I have to make this night absolutely perfect! _

Lee looked at his drop-dead sexy face in the mirror and ran a comb through his perfectly styled bowl-cut.

"It's time to pump up my blossom of youth!"

With a graceful twirl, he turned around and inserted a familiar tape into his boombox. _I believe in miracles…where you from…you sexy thing… _Lee listened to the comforting lyrics of Hot Chocolate's "Sexy Thing" and turned again to the mirror to continue his primping.

_No one could imagine how much gel it takes to get this hairstyle right! _

Lee couldn't believe that Sakura had actually initiated a date between them! He'd asked her out countless times before, but that day at the hospital, when he'd least expected it, Sakura had fulfilled his greatest wish. It seemed almost too good to be true.

But then again, the song he was so joyously listening to did talk about miracles happening… Lee's face brightened with happiness as he thought of the wonderful time he would have with Sakura tonight.

_Maybe she'll even let me hold her hand! _

His smile grew at the notion and he turned to the mirror to voice his merriment in song. "I believe in miracles…since you came aloooong…you sexy thaaang!"

As he sang the lyrics to his own reflection, Rock Lee couldn't help but admire his masculine eyebrows, his sleek black hair and his stunning pearly whites.

"I'm such a sexy thing…YOSH!"

* * *

From an onlooker's view, the dark blur flying through the treetops probably looked more like a wraith than the body of Uchiha Sasuke. As the black-haired shinobi flew from branch to branch, the bright moonlight reflected off of his onyx eyes and gave him an otherworldly, almost sinister appearance. 

_Those bastards certainly got what was coming to them._

His thoughts drifted to the attack he had led on the band of thieves hours earlier. The mission had been successful of course; the bandits had been no match for the three, highly trained shinobi and had been dispatched easily.

_It was especially bad for them that I needed something to distract my thoughts away from Sakura. _

Despite being in a three-man cell, the Uchiha had single-handedly killed nearly half of the targeted men, and all in a matter of minutes. Sasuke's blood-stained hands left little to the imagination.

Slowing his speed, he threw a glance over his shoulder and was unsurprised to see that he had lost Taimu and Ryuuma probably miles ago. Though he was undoubtedly tired from the laborious mission, Sasuke felt the need to continue increasing his speed and close the distance between him and Konoha.

_Sakura's probably regretting her decision not to go out with me and I'm sure she's anticipating my return. _

The raven-haired man smirked arrogantly imagining how Sakura would surely want to make up for their time apart and beg to be taken by him again and again. Unconsciously, Sasuke's pace quickened and he flew from branch to branch with an increased sense of purpose.

Through a gap in the foliage up ahead, he was just able to make out the lights emanating from Konoha's annual festival. A moment later, a brightly colored firework lit up the sky and showered green sparks down the blackness.

_Tonight__ is certainly going to be memorable. _

Sasuke's smirk again graced his handsome features.

_Sakura will discover__ that no one says no__ to an __Uchiha__…_

* * *

Sakura should've been having a nice time. The festival was great, the ethnic music was lovely, the food was delicious, and even the star-covered night sky was in full splendor. And yet here she was, utterly miserable. 

"Sakura-san look at those fireworks! Amazing, aren't they?!"

Sakura looked over at Rock Lee's upturned face and followed his gaze to the sparkling red fireworks spreading across the sky. "Yes, amazing…"

She sighed inaudibly and tried to enjoy the colorful display. She and Lee had been walking around the festival, talking with familiar friends and enjoying the small reenactments of famous Konoha events put on by groups of children. From her vantage point, Sakura could even see another performance going on in the middle of a large group of onlookers.

"Hey Sakura-san, there's Naruto and Hinata, let's go say hi!" Giving her no chance to reply, Lee grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him toward the other couple.

"Hey Naruto! Naruto!"

Naruto and Hinata turned around from the booth they were browsing when they heard Lee's enthusiastic calls.

"Oh hey Lee! Hey…Sakura-chan?"

Confusion was evident on the blonde's face as he realized who Lee was pulling by the hand. Sakura gave him a weak smile and gently pried her fingers from the fuzzy browed ninja's grasp. Stepping discretely away from him, she proceeded to greet Hyuuga Hinata with more enthusiasm than usual.

"Hinata! What were you looking at here? Ooo that's a pretty necklace...don't you think so Lee?"

Lee's attention immediately fell upon the piece of jewelry and with words of praise, he picked it up and admired each colored jewel. Naruto and Sakura shared a smirk as Lee indiscreetly pulled Hinata around the edge of the booth and began asking her if the necklace was a good present for Sakura.

"So you finally decided to ditch Sasuke then?"

Sakura smiled at Naruto as he attempted to maintain an air of nonchalance and disinterest.

"Nobody _ditched _anyone. Sasuke and I are just…well it wasn't like we ever together anyway…so it's not like there was anything to end…or…you know."

"So you being out with Rock Lee has nothing to do with a certain teme we both know?"

Sakura shook her head and gave Naruto her best attempt at "the evil eye."

"Rock Lee and I are just walking around as _friends _and I _told you_ not to call Sasuke that."

"Yea, yea. It's just weird seeing you on a date."

"It's not a date!"

Suddenly Rock Lee reappeared from around the other side of the booth, a brightly colored bag in hand. "Sakura-san! Please accept this present as a token of my appreciation. This is truly the best date I've ever had!"

Sakura tried not to punch Naruto as she dragged Lee away from the snickering blonde-haired man and his smiling fiancé.

A few minutes later found Sakura and her enthusiastic date at a food stand further down the road. Lee had insisted that they dine together in order to make the night complete and Sakura had really been too worn down to object.

"Are you two ready to order?"

Lee grinned at the old man behind the counter and then turned to Sakura. "I'll get your favorite Sakura-san!"

_Well at least, I'll get some tasty __Katsudon __Donburi__ out of this…_

"Okay, I'll have the Maguro Sashimi and for the lady, cook up a nice bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen!"

_Ramen?__ Earth to Lee, this is Sakura you're eating with, NOT __Naruto!_

Sakura sighed and tried not to seem disappointed by Lee's mishap. She instead focused on the sound of footsteps steadily approaching from behind. Whoever it was, stopped and then cleared his throat.

"That's not Sakura's favorite."

* * *

In a very different restaurant, with a very different man, sat the beautiful, yet _vain_ Kobayashi Miho. As she regarded the rich, handsome man seated across from her, the dark-haired woman couldn't help but sigh in boredom. 

_This guy is such a snore! If he wasn't swimming in cash, I would never even consider going on a date with his sorry ass!_

Miho's date made another attempt at being funny and she spared him a forced smile, before asking their waitress for the check.

_God, if only I could be out with someone interestin__g, __someone challenging! _

An image of deep onyx eyes and a chiseled, gorgeous face interrupted her thoughts.

_Someone like __Uchiha __Sasuke._

Miho hadn't had any contact with Sasuke since the last time he had come to her flat and she knew he was most likely through with her. It wasn't like she didn't have plenty of other men begging for her attention, her present date was proof enough, but for some reason Sasuke still interested her. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was presently unattainable, and she hated not being able to have something she wanted.

"Miho, would you like to go out and enjoy the festival?"

_With you?__ Hell no. _

"Oh that sounds great! Will you buy me a new necklace while we're there?"

"Of course!"

As the two of them exited the restaurant, Miho couldn't contain a devious smile from gracing her lips.

_All of __Konoha__ is__ at that festival tonight. Who knows who I might **accidentally**__ run into? _

* * *

"That's not Sakura's favorite." 

Sakura froze when she heard the male voice.

_Sasuke__-kun! _

Rock Lee cocked his head in confusion and shifted in his seat to view the person behind them. "Hitoshi-kun?"

Upon hearing Lee say the unexpected name, Sakura turned around as well. Instead of meeting the deep black gaze of Uchiha Sasuke, her eyes met light blue. It was Hitoshi of course. For some reason though, Sakura wasn't completely disappointed.

"Hitoshi! Um…you…well…"

Words seemed to fail her completely as she tried to think of _anything_ to say to the man whom she had inadvertently slighted in such a severe way. Rock Lee's eyes darted back and forth between the two and came to rest of Sakura's face.

"Sakura-san is Tonkotsu Ramen really not your favorite dish?"

Sakura sputtered unintelligibly for a moment before Hitoshi tried to intervene. "Hey Lee, it's not a big deal, I was just going to tell you that Sakura really enjoys Katsudon Donburi."

Lee seemed devastated. "I have failed you Sakura-san."

"Oh Lee it's fine really—"

Lee stood up and looked at Sakura with a determined expression. "No Sakura-san, I will make this up to you right now. I'll go home straight away and work on making my own homemade Katsudon Donburi for your enjoyment. I'll bring it to your apartment tomorrow as a sign of my devotion! Bye Sakura-san!"

Sakura attempted to stop him, but was unable to deter the fuzzy-browed ninja as he practically ran down the street in the direction of his home. "Lee, no really don't do that!"

"I think it's pretty pointless trying to stop him."

Remembering that she was now standing alone with Hitoshi, the green-eyed woman couldn't help but blush. He had seen her on a date with someone else and now probably hated her more than ever!

"Um Hitoshi, I just wanted to say that—"

"Well I should go…I just overheard Lee saying that your favorite was Ramen when it isn't and I wanted you to have what your _real_ favorite is and…well I have to go."

Hitoshi took a few steps before a firm hand gripped his arm and stopped him in his tracks.

"Hitoshi, I'm sorry. I feel terrible about what happened and really it was an accident that I ended up going on a date with Lee. When he walked into the break room that day I thought that he was…well _you."_

Hitoshi's surprise was evident as his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "So you mean that…that you were going to say yes…to going out with me?"

Sakura smiled and nodded her head in response. A bright blush now covered Hitoshi's face and he nervously shifted from foot to foot. With a jerk of her head, the pink-haired woman gestured to a street leading away from the festival, and together they began walking down the dimly lit lane.

"Will you walk me home Hitoshi?"

"Uh yea. Yea, of course."

_Why does he seem so nervous around me?_

Sakura looked questioningly at the man next to her and was surprised to see a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. With a quick movement, she bumped into him purposely and laughed when he stumbled into the side of a trash can.

"I'll get you back for that one Sakura!"

He nudged her playfully and soon the tension that had existed moments earlier, disappeared. Together they continued down the street filling the darkness with cheerful conversation and occasional laughter. Sakura's spirits were lifted as she saw that Hitoshi no longer harbored any ill feeling toward her; they had finally reconciled.

_Maybe I should ask him to come up and have some tea with me? _

As they paused outside of Sakura's apartment building, Hitoshi's eyes silently pleaded for the night not to be over just yet. With a small nod, Sakura pulled out her key and opened the door. Turning toward her friend, she smiled and held the door ajar.

"Why don't you come in and I'll make some tea for us?"

Hitoshi's face seemed to practically beam with happiness as he agreed and followed Sakura up the stairs. Chatting amiably, they reached the door numbered 27 and entered Sakura's small, but homey apartment. But as they walked into her dark living room, the pink-haired woman saw something that made her stop dead in her tracks.

_Oh my god…_

Frozen in place, Sakura flinched when she felt Hitoshi's body collide into her back.

"Hey, get a move on Haruno—"

His joking words died in his throat when his eyes followed his friend's surprised gaze.

"Sakura, what's _he _doing here?"

Sakura barely heard him. How could she when _Uchiha __Sasuke_ was sitting on her couch glaring at them with angry, red eyes?

* * *

**AN:** Ohhh snap, someone's a little mad! The next chapter makes me excited so I hope you guys are too! Just so everyone knows, this will probably be the last update before I leave home and go off to college. With that said, it will definitely be a big change for me and I'm not sure how much time I'll have for writing. Don't worry though! I fully plan on continuing this story and I hope to update as often as I usually do. All I ask is that you bear with me if the updates are a little slow at first while I adjust to college life. Thanks! 

Lots of reviews wishing me good luck would be awesome :)

_Coming __Soon__...Things really start to heat up when __Sasuke__ realizes that Sakura's been out with another man! Does poor Hitoshi stand a chance? _

Omg if you've never had fried green tomatoes before, you are really missing out! I'm eating some right now and they are sooooo delicious! Wow, that was some really random author's note rambling for ya XD


	7. Chapter Six

**AN: **Hi all! It feels great to be back. I know it's been long…erm 3 months to be exact, but who's counting:) Just wanted to humbly apologize for how delayed this update has been. I understand that people hate waiting, but I've really had NO time to work on this story while trying to balance friends, mountains of homework, my research position, and most importantly sleeping whenever possible! I hope I haven't lost everyone with this delay and I sincerely hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Thanks as always for your encouraging, awesome reviews and happy reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_

* * *

_

_Chapter Six _

Sasuke was seeing red. _Literally_.

Sakura had walked in with another man. And for some reason his body viewed this man as a dangerous threat because his sharingan had been unconsciously activated. His rapidly slipping mind was screaming one message: The threat needed to be eliminated. _Now._

_What the fuck does she think she's doing?!_

Sasuke watched as Sakura noticed his presence and froze in mid-step.

"What is _he _doing here?"

Hitoshi's question pierced the silence and made Sasuke's blood boil. It was funny ,really. Sasuke had been asking himself the same question.

Seemingly unable to compose herself, Sakura simply stared at the raven-haired man, her eyes wide in shock. Hitoshi's gaze narrowed and shifted back and forth between the other two until it rested upon the back of Sakura's head.

"Sakura?"

_Don't talk to her._

_Don't look at her._

"Hey…Sakura?"

Hitoshi extended a hand forward and lightly placed it on the pink-haired woman's shoulder.

_Don't touch her._

_She's mine. _

"Sakura, is everything okay?"

_No. You're in the way. _

Sasuke's mind was flooded with murderous intentions as Sakura finally appeared to snap out of her trance and turned around to face Hitoshi.

"Oh…ah I'm fine Hitoshi-kun."

_Hitoshi-__**kun**?!_

"Um Hitoshi you know Uchiha Sasuke ,right?" Sakura gestured toward the couch, but didn't bother to turn and face Sasuke. Hitoshi gave a quick nod in response.

"And Sasuke, this is Takuda Hitoshi. We work together at the hospital."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed menacingly, but he gave no offers of greeting or acknowledgment. How could he? He wanted to rip the other man from limb to limb.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?"

The question caught him off guard and for a moment his usually passive expression faltered. Sakura appeared to be caught in between a mix of fear and anger as she looked questioningly at the Uchiha and at the same time attempted to appear at ease in front of Hitoshi.

"I was just stopping by after returning from my mission."

"Oh."

Sakura's eyes met his and she flinched under his piercing gaze.

_Scared Sakura? _Sasuke quelled a derisive chuckle as he regarded the frightened looking woman in front of him.

"I guess I came at a bad time."

Sasuke's suggestive tone didn't go unnoticed by the other two and Sakura flushed a light shade of pink.

"Oh um it's not like…we were just…"

One of Sasuke's raven eyebrows rose in feigned amusement and his mouth contorted into a mocking smirk. The effect on Sakura was immediately visible as she flushed an even deeper shade of red.

It made Sasuke want to ravage her.

"I didn't realize you were dating a co-worker."

"Dating? Um Hitoshi and I are just—"

"_Fucking_?"

Sakura made a strangled sound in her throat and Hitoshi's face looked like it was on the verge of turning purple.

_They asked for it…_

"So I guess that's a yes?"

* * *

In his wildest dreams, Hitoshi couldn't have envisioned a more terrible way for the night to have turned out. He would've been happy with a nice cup of tea with Sakura and then maybe a hug. Heck, a freaking _handshake _would have been fine!

But, no. Uchiha _I'm a god _Sasuke just had to be waiting on the couch when they walked in.

_I have got to be the unluckiest guy ever…_

Hitoshi stood behind Sakura and felt his face heat up uncomfortably as Sasuke asked if he and Sakura were…were…well _you know. _

"So I guess that's a yes?"

Hitoshi was in close enough proximity to Sakura that he could feel her entire body stiffen in response to Sasuke's jibe. Yet he couldn't help but feel a bit sad that she felt that disgusted with the idea of being together with him.

_Am I that inferior to __Uchiha __Sasuke?_

"Sasuke, stop acting like a child."

Sasuke's usually calm exterior faded as Sakura's reprimand interrupted the silence. Hitoshi involuntarily took a step back as he caught a glance of the Uchiha's smoldering glare.

_This is not good._

"Glaring at me isn't going to do anything, so why don't you just do what you're best at and _leave._"

Though Sakura was obviously trying to sound strong, Hitoshi could hear the tremor in her voice and he placed a supporting hand on one of the pink-haired woman's delicate shoulders. From the look that Sasuke gave him, this was _not _the best move.

_I really don't want to be on the receiving end of that wrath._

Sasuke's gaze once again fell on Sakura and Hitoshi felt her body tremble against his hand.

_She doesn't feel anything for me, does she?_

Hitoshi sighed tiredly.

_He _would never illicit this type of reaction from her. This passionate demonstration full of anger and fear and downright gut-deep feelings. It was painfully obvious that the Uchiha had a firm hold over Sakura's emotions. And by the look on Sasuke's face, it seemed that he wasn't going to be letting go of that hold anytime soon.

_Looks like I've lost huh?_

Hitoshi vaguely heard Sasuke say something about Sakura really getting around these days and winced when she accidentally elbowed him in her rage.

_I never had a chance anyway_…

* * *

_That stupid, arrogant, bastard __Uchiha __Sasuke!_

Sakura was beyond mad at the smug man sitting only feet in front of her. She was _livid. _

How dare he come into her home, sit wherever the hell he wants, antagonize her guest, and then proceed to judge everything she did? And what made it that much worse was the fact that he _knew _exactly what he was doing and was probably enjoying it.

_When I get my hands on him he's going to wish he'd never been born! _

"So you seem to really be getting around these days huh Sakura?"

_Bastard!_

Sakura felt her elbow collide into Hitoshi's stomach and immediately felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Turning around, her medical instincts kicking into action, she placed a gentle hand on the area where she had struck him.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry."

Hitoshi seemed oddly calm as he nodded and reassured her of his good health. On the other hand, Sasuke's mood at the moment seemed to be the _very opposite_ of calm. In fact, he appeared to be on the verge of losing it at any moment.

_Is his __sharingan__ spinn__ing faster or I am just imagining things?_

In the blink of an eye the Uchiha was up from his position on the couch and advancing toward the unsuspecting couple.

"Sasuke, what—"

Grabbing Sakura's arm roughly, Sasuke jerked her away from Hitoshi and stepped in front of her petite frame.

"I think it's time for you to leave."

Hitoshi flinched before setting his chin defiantly and returning Sasuke's hostile glare.

"I'll leave when Sakura tells me to. I don't take orders from _you."_

Sasuke fixed his menacing gaze on Hitoshi, yet didn't reply. The whole atmosphere was making Sakura feel like she was suffocating.

_I just need to end this right now __before things get out of hand._

"Sasuke, please just go."

Again, the Uchiha made no attempt at replying. Even so, his silence was more frightening than anything he could have said. On the verge of panicking, Sakura stared at his firm back that was currently impeding her view of Hitoshi and tried desperately to think of what to do next.

_Maybe I could use my super strength to knock him unconscious and then drag him out of the apartment and—_

"I thought I told you to _leave._"

Sasuke's cold voice interrupted the pink-haired woman's jumbled thoughts.

_Hitoshi, just stay calm and please don't make him angrier!_

"And I thought I told _you _that I'm not going anywhere until Sakura wants me to."

_Oh no…_

"Leave."

"No."

"You might want to reconsider what the consequences of staying will be."

"The only thing I'm considering is Sakura's safety. And she obviously won't be safe with someone like _you_."

Sakura's eyes widened upon hearing Hitoshi's words and she was glad that no one could see her blush from her current position behind Sasuke.

_This is so not good._

Sasuke remained mute, but from her vantage point, Sakura could see the muscles of his back stiffen in anger.

"Hey guys cool it, ok? This isn't a big deal, if we could just—oh!"

Sakura's words were cut off sharply as Sasuke grabbed the front of Hitoshi's shirt and shoved him back against the closed door.

_Oh my god!_

"Don't think that you can mess with an Uchiha and walk away unharmed."

"Sasuke, don't!"

Grabbing Sasuke's arm roughly, Sakura desperately tried to stop the situation before it careened completely out of control.

"Let him go Sasuke! Let him go right now!"

Hitoshi seemed to have the semblance of mind not to react in any way to the furious Uchiha who currently had him in a very helpless position.

Sasuke didn't react to Sakura's shouting and instead moved his hands up to Hitoshi's neck, where he held on with a vice-like grip.

_Oh no, no, no…_

Sakura again yanked on the Uchiha's strong arms, but to no avail. Feeling panicked and helpless, tears filled her usually cheerful green eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, _please._"

Sakura's quiet, tearful plea seemed to stir something in Sasuke and he turned his head to face the pink-haired woman.

"_Please_."

Sakura saw a hint of something in his eyes that made her already frantic heart beat even faster. Was it _pain_?

_Does seeing me cry, make him __**hurt**_?

* * *

Sasuke was in a bad position. If he let Hitoshi go, it meant that he was weak and that he actually cared. But if he didn't let him go Sakura would get hurt.

_Why is she so fragile?_

It seemed like he'd been watching out for her wellbeing for much of his life. As an adolescent he'd always had to save the girl with the cherry-blossom hair and green eyes that constantly sought out his for reassurance and support.

Now that she worked as a doctor and rarely needed saving from physical danger, Sasuke seemed to have to pay much more attention to the welfare of her mind and emotions. It was a task that he had often neglected before, but at the moment seemed very important.

_You're growing soft __Uchiha._

But seeing the tears in her eyes and hearing the pain in her voice was becoming hard to bear.

_Should I just let him go?_

Turning away from Sakura's gaze, Sasuke glared at the surprisingly placid Hitoshi. An unexpected wave of jealously coursed through his veins and he involuntarily tightened his grip around the other man's neck.

_He can't have Sakura...I won't allow it. _

But hearing a muffled sob from Sakura immediately dissipated his anger and instead filled him uncomfortably with guilt.

_I can't be the cause of her pain. Not today at least..._

With an inaudible sigh of defeat, Sasuke removed his hand and stepped away from a coughing Hitoshi. As Sasuke expected, Sakura rushed to Hitoshi's side and used her chakra to heal any damage that his neck might have suffered.

"Hitoshi-kun, are you alright? Do you need anything?"

Hitoshi nodded 'no' and used his right hand to massage the sore skin.

Reassured that Hitoshi was in good health, Sakura turned around sharply and rounded on Sasuke.

"I can't believe you did that! Hitoshi is my guest and most importantly, a friend of mine! Is this how you normally treat people you've just met? Practically _kill_ them and don't even apologize—"

"Sakura stop."

Sasuke was surprised to witness Hitoshi telling Sakura what to do, especially since she was defending him.

Confused, Sakura turned to look at Hitoshi.

"I understand that you're upset with him right now, but don't get worked up on my part."

"Hitoshi-kun, what—"

"Just forget this ever happened okay?"

Sasuke's eyes darted questioningly to Hitoshi's. What he saw there was tiredness, maybe even some sadness, but most importantly resignation. Hitoshi _knew_ he'd lost.

_I guess he's smarter than I thought._

Sakura, however didn't seem to understand Hitoshi's behavior.

"Hitoshi, you don't need to act like this didn't happen, _he_ should be apolo—"

"Really, Sakura, you know me; I hate conflict. Besides, it's getting late and I should get going."

"What?"

"If you need anything, just let me know. I'll…I'll come anytime. Goodbye Sakura."

Before Sakura could say anything more, the brown-haired man opened the door and exited quietly, but determinedly out of the apartment.

* * *

This was it. The last straw. The final heart-breaking thing Uchiha Sasuke could inflict upon her without receiving any indication of her pain.

_I just don't care anymore._

Sakura was beyond shocked over what had transpired in the small living room of her apartment only moments before and she was nowhere near in a state to deal with the raven-haired man still standing before her.

_He needs to get the fuck out of my life._

She was tired of his behavior, of the unexpected visits and jealous actions that didn't seem to be rooted in anything other than Sasuke's twisted need to _own _people. To not share them with anyone else even if he had no claims over them other than those of a physical nature.

_He doesn't even love me. He doesn't give a fuck about how I feel or how everything he does hurts me!_

Risking a glance up at the Uchiha, Sakura was unsurprised to see his calm, black eyes staring back at her emotionlessly.

_Does he ever feel __**anything**?!_

Her heart clenched painfully as she realized that he probably would never understand her; would never care enough to try and bring her happiness.

_Just end it Sakura._

"You should leave now."

Sasuke didn't reply, but instead focused his eyes upon her own.

"_Leave_."

He made no move for the door.

"Can't you ever say _anything_?! I told you to get out so just go!"

"No."

"Why do you even want to be here?"

He took a step towards her and she backed away in anger and disgust.

"Do you enjoy tormenting me? Do you want to ruin any chances I might have to enjoy a healthy relationship with a guy who actually cares about me?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"So you like that guy?"

"It's none of your concern."

"Goddamit Sakura, tell me the truth. Are you sleeping with him?"

Sakura let out an incredulous laugh.

"Everything always revolves around sex with you, doesn't it?"

"So you are."

"What?"

"I can't believe that you'd stoop low enough to fool around with a co-worker."

Sakura felt red-hot anger boiling up inside of her and it took all of her resolve not to attack the arrogant, hypocritical man standing in front of her.

"Don't insult my friend."

"Friend? Don't you mean 'fuck-buddy?'"

"Shut up Sasuke!"

"What? Did I touch a nerve?"

Sakura advanced toward the Uchiha and stood up to her full height ,with the top of her head just grazing the tip of his nose.

"If you're going to act like this, just leave!"

Some of Sasuke's cockiness seemed to have been replaced by anger as he clenched his fists and stared down at her menacingly.

"What did you expect Sakura? That I'd enjoy seeing you come in with another man? That I wouldn't be angry that you were having sex with someone that you barely even know?"

"I told you, it's none of your business who I spend my time with!"

"You're acting like such a slu—"

SMACK! The resounding sound of Sakura's hand slapping across Sasuke's face echoed throughout the room. Sasuke raised a hand to his cheek in surprise and touched the place where she'd struck him.

_What have I done? I've never hit him before…_

When Sasuke's onyx eyes locked with hers again, she was unsurprised by the anger she saw there.

_Don't look frightened! Don't let him think__ that__ you're just the same weak girl you used to be._

Mustering up all of her courage Sakura forced herself not to look away from his smoldering glare.

"I told you to _get out_."

Grabbing her wrist in one quick movement, Sasuke unexpectedly pinned her between his body and the wall.

"Let go of me!"

"No."

They struggled for a moment before Sasuke pinned both of Sakura's wrists next to either side of her head and pushed his firm body against the softness of her curves. Sakura couldn't help but be acutely aware of the suggestive position they had unwittingly gotten themselves into.

_Don't give into this now. Show him that you __have__ at least some self-respect left!_

"Get off of me Sasuke."

Sasuke lowered his face dangerously close to hers.

"Not until you tell me you're through with that guy and that you won't see him again."

Setting her chin defiantly Sakura went in for the blow she knew would hurt him the most.

"You can't own people Sasuke. You can't expect them to do whatever you want, whenever you want. It's not like _I'm yours._"

This seemed to be the last straw for Sasuke. Grabbing the back of her head roughly, he pulled her face up to his and claimed her lips in a searing kiss.

Sakura resisted for a few moments before giving in to the passionate ministrations of Sasuke's lips. Tangling her hands in his raven hair, she pulled him in closer and deepened the kiss.

She knew it was wrong. She knew he was only demonstrating his possessiveness over her, but she just couldn't stop herself. She loved him so much.

Sasuke's hands moved from her hair down to the hem of her shirt where he pulled upward until the article of clothing shifted up and over her head. With Sakura's help, he removed it from her arms and threw it carelessly upon the floor.

Again, their lips met and this time Sakura channeled all of her frustration, anger, and pain into the kiss. Clawing at the back of his shirt, she tried to inflict a fraction of the pain he inflicted upon her with every harsh word he dealt and things he left unspoken.

Soon the Uchiha's shirt was on the floor alongside her own and they were steadily losing control over themselves.

_I can't do this. I just can't._

Gathering all of her strength, Sakura pushed Sasuke's warm body off of hers and grabbed her shirt off of the floor. Clutching it in front of her almost bare chest, she stepped away from him, but raised her gaze up to meet his.

"You just want to hurt me don't you?"

Sasuke appeared momentarily confused before an undecipherable emotion flashed across his eyes.

Running a hand through his tousled hair, the Uchiha looked away from Sakura's green eyes as if by doing so he could end some sort of struggle carrying on inside of him.

"Leave."

Sasuke gave Sakura one last look before silently opening the door and leaving the apartment.

_Why does this hurt so much?_

Sakura stood staring at the closed door that Sasuke had exited through only moments prior and let the profound emptiness wash over her. She had told him to leave, yes, but what she really needed more than anything was for him to stay.

_I need you __Sasuke__-kun. I love you._

This just wasn't working anymore. Carrying on a friendship with him and then a sexual relationship behind the scenes was obviously not a permanent solution. Though Sasuke might not care, she did. She needed something more from him or just…well nothing at all.

_Stop lying to him and to yourself Sakura. He has no idea how you feel and he might never know unless you tell him._

Though it terrified her to do so, Sakura knew it was time to tell him the truth.

_But what about everything that's just happened?_

It was obvious that she was losing him. He was walking away at this very moment and he might not ever look back.

So Sakura did the only thing she knew to do. She went after him.

* * *

**AN: **I know it's angsty and long. But I do have plans for the plot in case you were wondering :) As of now, things should be only going up from here for our favorite couple! As always, I can't make any guarantees about the next update, but I'll try my best to make the update gap shorter than the last. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and thanks to everyone for your support and well wishes for college!

_Coming __Soon…__Is it too late for __Sasuke__ and Sakura? Or is __Sasuke's__ cold heart finally warming up? __Naruto__ and __Hinata's__ engagement party might be the start of something new!_

College really sucks sometimes, but the best way to put a smile on my face is to click that review button! It'll help me forget my homework for at least 30 seconds :)


	8. Chapter Seven

**AN:** Yay, I finished another chapter! Took me long enough huh? Sorry about that, but it looks like this will be the normal routine until summer vacation starts. Thanks to everyone who's still reading my story and who reviewed on the last chapter. I love you all :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter Seven_

This wasn't like her. This wasn't like her at all.

Sakura's thoughts were racing as she hurried down the street in the direction of Sasuke's apartment building.

She had never thought of herself as particularly spontaneous or romantic. Sakura prided herself in being sensible. Well, except when it came to Uchiha Sasuke of course. Her current actions were proof enough that she was just as irrational as the next person regarding matters of the heart.

_This is the right thing to do. Sometimes to get what you want you need to take drastic measures._

Sakura repeated the words in her head as she stepped over a large puddle in the street. Running after Sasuke was definitely one of the more impulsive things she had done in a long time.

_But, hey he's worth it isn't he?_

For some reason the nonchalant thought stopped her in her tracks.

Was he worth it? Was his cruelty justified simply by the fact that she loved him? Or was her love the only thing blinding her to his severe faults?

Her mind was suddenly bombarded by questions and doubts.

Maybe she only felt the way she did because she had loved him for so long. Maybe the real Sasuke was someone that she didn't want to see, didn't want to understand. A shaky breath escaped from her lungs and she realized that she had been holding it in for an unnatural amount of time.

_What are you doing going after him? Does he even want you to? _

The answer was lost to her. Standing there in the quiet, dark street Sakura felt more alone than ever.

_Maybe I should turn back._

All of a sudden her mind was cascaded with memories of unspoken words, shy glances, and feelings constantly lingering behind a façade.

_He needs to know the truth. I'll never move on until he knows I love him._

Another memory flashed in her mind, this time filling her with sadness and almost unbearable pain. The night when she had tried to stop him from leaving Konoha and turning his back on everything and everyone he had cared about, maybe even loved.

_You confessed t__o him that __night too, remember?_

An image of Sasuke's cold eyes and hurtful smirk mocking her profession of love flashed before her eyes.

_What if he reacts the same way? I don't think I can take that again._

The familiar fear began to creep upon her and threatened to crush the resolve she had finally mustered.

_No! I may be pathetic, but I am not a coward_.

Sakura tore her eyes away from the ground and looked down the empty street. _I'll tell him even if it means losing him forever…_

* * *

Sasuke stood in the living room of his apartment, his emotions more conflicting than they had ever been. Sakura had pushed him away and hell, even he knew that he deserved it. But…But what? 

Why did it hurt so much? It wasn't like they were even in a real relationship. They were just friends after all. Friends who occasionally had a "good time." It wasn't supposed to hurt when that "good time" ended, when one of the friends found another man. It was supposed to be casual.

_Fuck!_

Sasuke felt like something was tearing at him from deep inside and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Sakura's tear-stained face seemed to be branded in his mind and her words reverberated constantly in his ears.

"You can't own people Sasuke. You can't expect them to do whatever you want, whenever you want. It's not like _I'm yours._"

"_It's not like I'm yours_." Not his, huh? Then why had she said it so many times before?

Sasuke exhaled deeply and tried to stop thinking about the one woman he had always taken for granted and yet now seemed to need more than anything.

A knock sounded at the door and Sasuke was immediately stirred from his reverie.

_Sakura…_

For some reason he felt nervous as he quickly walked across the room and stopped in front of the door. Sasuke pulled it opened expecting to meet the bright green gaze of Haruno Sakura, but was surprised to see deep brown eyes instead.

It was none other than Kobayashi Miho.

She had a slight smirk playing on her perfectly glossed lips and her eyes glinted mischievously in the dim light. Sasuke didn't feel like talking to her. She obviously sensed this and took the initiative.

"Sasuke, darling it's been so long."

He spared her a glare which would have turned most people away. Not Miho though. She walked past him into the apartment, pulling the door shut behind her.

"I need to talk to you."

"Then talk."

"Always right to the point, huh?" He didn't give her even the hint of a smile.

"Sasuke, I know I upset you the last time we talked, but I don't want us to end our relationship like that."

"What relationship?"

"Oh don't be so touchy. I don't want us to get married or anything, I just want to remain in contact with you Sasuke. We're too good together. It'd be a waste to stop meeting."

"I disagree."

Miho flicked her hair so that it cascaded down the front of her chest and flashed him what was obviously meant to be a charming and seductive smile. It would have appealed to Sasuke in the past, but now it just disgusted him.

Sakura's smile was never fake like that. She was always sincere.

"You're not still hung up on that pink-haired _friend _of yours are you?"

Sasuke stiffened at the unexpected comment and Miho let out a mocking laugh.

"Well well, looks like the ice cube Uchiha is finally starting to melt."

It took all his strength not to turn toward the annoying woman and push her forcibly out of the apartment. Instead, Sasuke remained standing with his back facing her, a grim expression set on his handsome face.

Miho reached a hand up to Sasuke's shoulder where she squeezed lightly.

"Let's have some fun tonight. You look stressed and I know just how to help you _relax_."

The black-haired man pulled away from her grasp and looked over his shoulder into her chocolate eyes.

"Let me make this simple for you. _We're over_. Now get the fuck out of my apartment."

Miho looked taken aback before anger twisted her usually soft features. Sasuke again turned his back on her.

"Fine. Just remember though, I gave you a second chance and there won't be a third."

She turned quickly on her heel and stomped to the door, which she yanked open forcefully. Sasuke waited to hear it slam, but was surprised to hear Miho's cruel chuckle instead.

Curious, Sasuke turned around and his breath caught in his throat. Standing there looking at Miho with a wide-eyed expression was Sakura. Miho shot Sasuke a truly evil glance, before turning back to the confused woman in front of her.

"Excuse me dear, I need to get through."

Sakura stepped aside and Miho bustled past her.

Sasuke heaved a sigh of a relief. _That could have gone much worse. _

His relief was short lived, however, as Miho's lilting voice called from down the hallway.

"Thanks for a wild time as always Sasuke-kun. We must do it again soon."

And with that, the pernicious woman sauntered down the stairs, the sound of her clicking heels echoing in her wake.

* * *

No. No. No. No. 

This wasn't happening. Not now. Not after she had finally gathered the courage to confess. It was just too cruel to be real.

Sakura stood frozen in the doorway and stared at Sasuke's face. He looked just as surprised as she did, which unsettled her even more. He was always cool, calm, closed off. Was he surprised to see her?

Sasuke's eyes looked appealingly into hers. "Sakura, it's…it's not what it looks like."

His voice was full of pleading and it made her feel uncomfortable.

He had never tried to apologize to her or make excuses, why was he now? Was he embarrassed that she had caught him with another woman?

Just thinking about it caused a fresh stab of pain to burn through her heart. She turned away in order to not let him see the tears stinging in her eyes.

"She's not anyone to me. I don't care about her."

Again his voice took on a pleading tone, but this time it bordered on desperation. "Sakura, please look at me."

She couldn't, not when her hurt was so raw and apparent. He walked quickly toward her and used his hand to lift her chin.

"Believe me."

Staring up into his onyx eyes, she wanted to, more than anything.

"Sasuke-kun, I…"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

He looked as though she had slapped him.

"I'm sorry you feel that you have to explain to me. You can…can be with who you want to be with. I just want us to be friends."

Sasuke's expression hardened. "_Friends?_"

"Like we've always been, you know?" Sakura tried a smile, but it was unconvincing and she knew it.

"That's what you want? For us to stay…the same?"

Sasuke was staring at her intently now, almost daring her to admit that she had always wanted more from him. After what had just happened though, Sakura felt defeated, crushed really, and she couldn't take his dare. The risk was far too great.

_As long as I can stay by your side, even as a friend, I'll be alright._

"Let's be best friends like we were before, no complications with a physical relationship or anything. Just friends."

He nodded, but his eyes reflected disappointment. Sakura held her ground and she smiled that unconvincing smile once more.

"Well I suppose I'll see you at Naruto and Hinata's engagement party tomorrow."

Sasuke nodded again, but didn't betray any emotion. He had retreated into the impenetrable shell that had been his defense for years.

Sakura turned her back just as a tear slid down her cheek. Wiping it away roughly, the pink-haired woman turned her head to give him a small smile before leaving. He had already left the room, however, and a hollow feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

"Goodbye Sasuke-kun."

Choking back the flood of tears, Sakura fled from the apartment wondering how the hope she had harbored on her way there had turned so quickly into utter despair.

* * *

"Sasuke-teme stop looking like someone stole one of your damn tomatoes! Could you at least act happy on the day of my engagement party?!" 

Naruto's loud voice was a welcome distraction to Sasuke as he sat at the round table in the small rented room in one of Konoha's local halls. Sasuke had arrived at least 20 minutes ago and had tried to act somewhat social for Naruto and Hinata's small get-together.

"Oh leave him alone Naruto, his silence is better than your shouting every five seconds!"

Everyone laughed at Ino's comment and she flashed a smug smile. Sitting at the table on her left was her boyfriend Chouji who seemed more interested in the yummy food than the lively conversation passing between the group of friends. On Chouji's left, Inuzuka Kiba was gulping down his second glass of champagne and smiling suggestively at Tenten who was without Neji for the evening.

Sasuke looked around the table from his seat between Tenten and Shikamaru. Shikamaru's feisty girlfriend Temari sat on his left and next to her was the happy couple Naruto and Hinata.

The empty seat between Hinata and Ino that was almost directly across from him drew his attention again. Sakura was supposed to sitting there and her absence was more apparent to him than anything else that was going on at the lively table.

_Where is she? She said she'd be here tonight. _

"Naruto-kun, you don't need to do that…"

Sasuke's eyes were drawn to Naruto and Hinata as the blonde-haired ninja fed his embarrassed fiancé a piece of food while grinning widely.

_Is everyone destined to be happy except Sakura and __me?_

"So Sasuke, how have your missions been lately?"

Sasuke welcomed the distraction of Shikamaru's question. Anything was better than thinking about his and Sakura's complicated relationship.

"Things have been slow. But what can you expect now that Akatsuki's gone?"

"True. Life is a bit more peaceful now."

Sasuke traced the flowery pattern of the table cloth with his finger. "Until the next big threat you mean."

Shikamaru gave a small grin. "Of course."

_I can't picture my life ever being peaceful. Even with __Itachi__ gone, it's as if I changed myself being with __Orochimaru__ all those years. _

His black eyes narrowed at the thought of his hated enemies.

_I accomplished my goal, but now…_

Sasuke focused in on Sakura's empty chair once more.

_Life just seems meaningless._

"Tenten, why isn't your _lov__er_ here tonight?"

Tenten spared Naruto a disdainful look before giving one of her characteristic wry smiles.

"He's on a top-secret ANBU mission, duh."

Everyone chuckled good-naturedly, especially those at the table who were ANBU themselves. Tenten, a member of a different ANBU squad than Neji, frequently poked fun at the elite organization that Neji took so seriously.

Tenten unexpectedly let out an exaggerated sigh. "I only wished that I looked half as sexy as Nejii in that ANBU cat mask…"

"Girl please, Neji's got the hot body, but who can beat your sexy buns?"

"Buns?! Been scoping out my butt lately Ino?"

"I _meant _your hairstyle, but now that you mention it…" Ino winked suggestively, but had to quickly hit Chouji on the back when he unexpectedly began choking on an eggroll.

Sasuke shook his head at the ridiculous antics of his friends and tried to focus on enjoying their company rather than the absence of the friend he wanted to see the most. It was easier said than done, that was for sure.

_You never used to need her around all the time…what's the big deal if you don't see her for one night? It's not like you'll die if you don't get to be with her._

Sasuke took another long drink of his beer and gave a small nod.

_You know maybe it's a good thing she's not coming tonight. She'll only mess with my head and distract my from everything else that's going on._

Sasuke was slowly, but surely feeling better about the situation. He just had to keep controlling his jumbled thoughts, that was all.

_I don't even care if __Sakura__ comes tonigh__t. S__he can stay in her apartment alone the entire nigh__t for all I care._

Now _this_ was the right line of thinking! Sure, some might have called it denial, but Sasuke was an Uchiha and Uchihas really didn't give a shit what anyone else said about them.

_I'm having a great time by myself and Sakura probably would have annoyed me like she normally does. Really, I'm glad she didn't __come __toni__—__Ohh__…_

Sasuke's manner of thinking took a sharp turn in the other direction when the woman he had just claimed to not want to see walked into the room in a simple black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places and her pink hair flowing past her shoulders in wavy tresses.

_She's beautiful. _

Upon seeing Sakura, Ino let out a squeal of delight and enthusiastically patted the empty chair next to her.

"Sakura sit here! We've been waiting on you _forever_!"

"Yea where have you been Sakura-chan? I'm almost drunk already and you haven't even started yet!" Naruto took another big swig of his beverage for emphasis.

Sakura patted Naruto on the head and sat down in her chair. "You know me; there was an emergency at the hospital and I just wanted to make sure everything was okay before I left."

"You live in that freakin hospital girl." Tenten slid her unopened beer across the table to Sakura. "I'm sure you need this more than I do."

The pink-haired woman flashed a grin. "You got that right." She popped open the bottle and dramatically took a large gulp.

Sasuke found it impossible to laugh along with everyone else.

The minutes passed with everyone chatting and laughing without a care in the world, while Sasuke could only concentrate on the beautiful woman across from him.

She had sat away from him, on the exact opposite side of the round table to be exact and she seemed to be deliberately not meeting his gaze from across the wide surface.

Ino whispered something in Sakura's ear and she blushed prettily. Laughing along with Naruto and Ino's jokes, Sakura seemed to be fine, unscathed from last night's encounter. But the way she seemed to be taking one too many sips of her drink and how her eyes lacked their usual brightness alerted Sasuke to the feelings she was obviously holding back.

It bothered him to see her this way.

Sakura was supposed to be happy and cheerful like she usually was. She deserved to be and he was used to it. He wanted to see her flash a smile that reached her eyes.

He needed to know that she was okay.

"Who wants to play strip poker?!"

The girls at the table groaned, but Kiba echoed his consent and Chouji even looked mildly excited.

"Oh god no Naruto." Temari shook her head in obvious disgust at what would possibly happen when the drunken ninjas started a game which involved clothing-removal.

Sasuke was just glad someone had spoken up before he was forced to.

Naruto's fox-like grin only widened and he started tugging on the edge of his shirt as is if he was in the process of removing it. "Oh c'mon ladies, this is your last chance to see my sexy body before Hinata takes me away forever!"

Hinata's shocked expression was worth hearing Naruto's cocky and ridiculous babble and issued a collective laugh from the rest of the table.

"Guys I have a great idea!" Ino grinned mischievously and darted her eyes from person to person.

Sasuke inwardly groaned. Any ideas that Yamanaka Ino had were bound to be annoying.

"Let's play '_I've Never_'!"

Naruto furrowed his golden eyebrows together in confusion. "What the hell is that?"

Temari let out an exasperated sigh. "For someone who seems to enjoy games so much, you sure don't know many."

Ino grinned again and began explaining the game she was obviously thrilled about playing. "Okay, the object of the game is to get as many people at the table to drink. So, say for example it was my turn; I would say something that I've never done, but that I think a lot of other people at the table _have _done."

Naruto looked more confused than ever.

Temari groaned again. "Okay Uzumaki, if it was my turn I would say something like, 'I've never been attracted to women' and then all the guys at the table would have to take a drink because they _are _attracted to women."

"Ohhh, I get it. Let's play, let's play!"

Sasuke sighed. Games weren't really his forte, especially when drunken fools like Naruto and Kiba were involved.

"Sounds good to me!" Tenten's expression had taken on a competitive edge and she looked ready to win big.

Sakura cracked her knuckles and put her fists down on the table. "Watch me kick all of your asses!"

Everyone laughed, but Sasuke knew that each one of them were up for the challenge. And this was the problem with playing stupid games with highly-skilled and trained ninjas. Everyone got _way_ too into it.

Shikamaru was the first to go. Mainly because everyone knew he'd be too lazy to come up with anything good if they didn't force him to go at the beginning.

He unsurprisingly targeted his headstrong girlfriend.

"I've never carried around a big-ass fan and kicked the shit out of people with it."

Temari eyed him evilly and took a drink. "There'll be one more victim of my fan tonight if you keep picking on me love."

Shikamaru smirked at her, but Sasuke doubted that someone even as skilled as Shikamaru would underestimate Temari's abilities.

"Well," chimed in Ino, "let's keep the fun going! Naruto, you go next!"

_What stupid remark will __he__ come up with? _

"I've never seen Shino's eyes!"

Kiba tried to take a drink as indiscreetly as possible, but to no avail. As soon as Tenten caught a glimpse of his movements, she busted out in laughter, alerting everyone else to Kiba's secret.

"Oooh Kiba, does he have big, bright blue ones or does he have _bug_ eyes?!"

Tenten's jibe sent Naruto howling in fits of laughter while Kiba only snarled in her direction.

Seeing how close Kiba was to probably biting someone, Sakura intervened. "Well I guess I can go next! Um I've never had a normal-sized forehead."

Sasuke suppressed the urge to tell her that her forehead was just fine the way it was.

"Sakura-chan your forehead isn't _that_ big!"

"Shut up and drink Naruto!"

Sasuke smirked. The arguing between Sakura and Naruto would probably never change. And Sakura always beating Naruto would probably stay the same too.

As the game went on, everyone deliberately began targeting Naruto with their 'I've Nevers'.

"I've never had a fucking demon sealed inside my body."

"I've never made friends with enemies that were about to kill me five seconds earlier!"

"I've never eaten ten bowls of ramen in one sitting."

Naruto groaned. "Okay guys, that was _one_ time!"

"And I've never done something because it was _My Way of the Ninja!" _

"All of you suck, you know that!" Naruto choked as he took another drink of his alcoholic beverage. "What's the point of this game again Ino? Get the future groom as fucked-up as possible?!"

Ino only shrugged. "Tenten you go next!"

The brown-haired woman smiled mischeviously. "Well I've got one that'll get a good portion of you guys."

Sasuke just couldn't wait to hear this one. He had been forced to drink a little more than he would have liked and it was starting to make him feel impatient with the whole situation he found himself in. And Sakura was just way too far away for his liking.

_Who the hell decided on these seating arrangements anyway?_

And now Sakura looked like she was actually enjoying herself. _Enjoying_ _herself._ Didn't she care that she was separated from him by a 3 foot expanse of table cloth, food, and cutlery?

_Unless she's completely over me now…_

Tenten cleared her throat. "I've never had feelings for anyone at this table."

Kiba looked around at the women at the table and smiled devilishly before raising his glass for a drink.

Tenten grabbed his arm before he could finish the act. "I meant _romantic _feelings. Your perverted fantasies don't count."

Groaning, Kiba set down his drink and rolled his eyes dramatically.

Next in line, Ino took a drink and smiled when Chouji did as well. Expectantly everyone looked at Sakura and she sighed lightly before drinking.

Temari took a swig of her beverage and gave Shikamaru an expectant look. He appeared to be unwilling to drink, but a sharp blow to the back of the head was more than enough prompting.

Hinata blushed prettily before looking up at Naruto and sipping her drink. Naruto grinned widely and picked up his glass with unabashed pride.

"I'll drink to this one gladly!"

With that, he tilted his head back and proceeded to drain the rest of the alcohol. A few moments later his face came smashing down onto the table as he passed out stone cold.

Sasuke shook his head. _Dobe._

Most of the ninjas at the table laughed while a concerned Hinata tried to lift his head off of the tablecloth.

All of the attention focused on the dramatic scene surrounding Naruto, no one noticed Sasuke look at Sakura, raise his glass and then take a drink.

* * *

**AN**: Oookay. So yup that's it. I feel bad about this chapter and the fact that it's not that great. I promise I'll try harder for the next one okay:) But anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you don't hate me for all the waiting I make you do. I know I'm kind of an angst-addict and it shows, but I'm going to be moving away from that with the next chapter. Yes, you can breath a sigh of relief…there is a light at the end of the angst-tunnel! Haha I really should stop staying up so late, it's making me weeeeird. 

_Coming Soon…Sakura drinks a little too much at the party. __Sasuke__ might just have to take her home. And __Naruto__ wakes up somewhere he would have never expected! Okay __sorry ,random__. And __wait, did __Sasuke__ just admit he's in love? _

Heh that was cheesy. I looooove reviews! So if you liked it or sadly, hated it, it's okay just tell me! Thank you everyone :)


	9. Chapter Eight

**AN**: Hey everyone! So wow, this is the longest it's taken me to update EVER. You know of course how sorry I am about that, but I do like having a life and passing classes and all that sooo I guess I'm not _that_ sorry :) I've tried to make this chapter as amazing as I could in order to make it up to you guys and I hope you do enjoy it. Thanks to all the faithful reviewers…I seriously LOVE each and every one of you (especially since I haven't gotten one flame yet! Crap…I probably jinxed it now haha)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter Eight_

Haruno Sakura was having a pretty good time at Naruto and Hinata's engagement party. Friends, food, laughter, and well…the abundance of alcohol had certainly helped a little.

_Or a lot. _

She quelled the annoying and of course overly logical Inner Sakura and instead focused on her present state of contentment.

_You mean denial right?_

That bitch really needed to shut up.

Considering she had only had her heart broken about 24 hours or so ago, Sakura really did feel alright. Of course there was the small problem of a certain bastard sitting directly across from her who had broken said heart in a million tiny pieces, but she could deal.

How many times had he already disappointed her? Too many to count.

Sakura chanced a small look over at Sasuke and was unsurprised to see that he looked mildly bored and disgruntled with those around him.

_Does he even know how to have fun?_

It didn't seem like his mood bothered anyone else though and she knew that they were used to Sasuke's behavior. Maybe a small part of her even found his moodiness endearing, but she wouldn't admit that. Not when she was trying to convince herself that she was indifferent to him at least. Sakura looked away from him and tried to lift her spirits again.

_This is a great party! I feel happy, really I do. I don't need him. _

That was the spirit. Who needed Sasuke when there was fun to be had?

Now where was that bottle of vodka again?

* * *

Things were really starting to get out of hand. Uchiha Sasuke surveyed the party going on around him and sighed.

Shikamaru was sleeping soundly as his girlfriend Temari carried on an intense arm wrestling match with Tenten. Hinata listend avidly as Naruto attempted to explain his newest, most powerful jutsu yet. Chouji was nowhere to be found, but Sasuke had a strong suspicion that he was off looking for more snacks since the party had run out of food a while ago.

"Hey baby, what's happening?!"

Sasuke cringed as he watched a trashed Inuzuka Kiba attempt to flirt with a chair.

_And these are supposed to be Konoha's most elite ninja…_

And when he could avoid it no longer, the Uchiha turned his gaze to Sakura who was dissolved in a fit of laughter with Ino.

"Oh…my…gosh Ino that is the funniest thing I have ever heard!" Sakura's speech was much slower than usual and he could tell that she was quite intoxicated.

_What is she so happy about?_

He had to admit she looked cute when she laughed like that though.

_Too bad she probably hates my guts right now…_

"IT'S TIME TO REVIVE THE UCHIHA CLAN!!"

_What the fuck?_

Sasuke's attention was torn away from Sakura as Kiba, who had apparently given up on the chair, stumbled toward Sasuke. The black-haired man scowled as he was forced to listen to Kiba's drunken babble about how Sasuke was the prettiest girl he had seen in a long while. As Kiba got closer and Sasuke prepared to break the other ninja's arm in about three different places, an unlikely intervention occurred. A flash of pink flew in between the two men.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

Sasuke was surprised to see a flustered, but determined Haruno Sakura glaring up at Kiba like he was in need of a serious ass-kicking.

"I'm telling you Kuba, Koba whatever the hell your name is, that Sasuke is off limits!"

The pink-haired woman jabbed a finger into Kiba's chest for emphasis. The quick movement proved too much for her however, and she stumbled backward, falling toward the ground.

Sasuke, whose honed reflexes kicked in immediately, moved forward and caught her securely in his arms. He looked down at her green eyes that were widened in shock and smirked.

"I'm taking you home now."

* * *

Sakura's head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Soft, fluffy, and strangely warm cotton. It was a nice feeling, really. And so was the strong and warm arm around her shoulders.

Whose arm was that again?

Sakura looked up at the person standing close beside her. He was very tall. He had spiky black hair and a noticeably handsome face. Sakura's mouth widened into a smile.

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Hn."

"What are you doing here?"

And where was _here _exactly?

Sakura turned away from Sasuke and surveyed the darkness around her. She was most definitely walking down the street and it was obviously late at night.

"I'm taking you home smart one."

"That's wonderful Sasuke-kun! Thank youuuuu!"

Sakura couldn't exactly remember what had happened before she had ended up outside with Sasuke, but right now it didn't seem that important. She felt safe and happy and Sasuke was taking care of her. That was all that mattered.

* * *

The crisp night air felt refreshing and welcome on Sasuke's face as he walked down the quiet street holding Sakura's body tight against him. He was quite warm actually and he knew it had more to do with the feel of her soft hair brushing against his chin and her delicate shoulders nestled into his side than the pace of their walking.

"Sasuke-kun why is that cat _staring_ at us like that?"

Sasuke sighed as his eyes followed Sakura's outstretched hand which pointed in the direction of the animal. The small feline was perched in a tree branch, its amber eyes glowing brightly in the dark.

"Just ignore it."

Sakura stopped walking and seemed set on refusing to move until the cat went on its way.

"But…but look at it. Those _eyes_."

She was really drunk wasn't she? _The_ Haruno Sakura afraid of a _cat_?

Sasuke knew he would have to tease her about this once she was sober, but for now this was obviously a serious matter.

Letting go of his hold on Sakura, the onyx-haired man moved toward the offending cat and attempted to shoo it out of the tree. This proved to be a little more difficult than he had anticipated, but with a few more shakes of the branch and some coaxing, the furry creature was gone.

"Sasuke-kun you've done it! We're saved!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm, but allowed her to declare her gratitude to him nonetheless.

_At least she's forgotten about hating me for now._

With the threat gone, Sakura showed no hesitation in continuing down the street and she ran forward past Sasuke.

"Let's go home! Home, home, home…" Her sing-songy voice echoed loudly through the night air and Sasuke scowled as she increased her pace ahead of him.

"Don't run."

"Don't be so bossy Sasuke-kun!"

"Hn."

She turned around to pull a funny face at him and then laughed with obvious delight. Sasuke looked at her smiling expression and couldn't help but be reminded of the young Sakura from their genin days. Bright, carefree, and he had to say a bit annoying, she had always loved being around him.

_But did I screw up too bad this time?_

The unpleasant thought made him stop in his tracks. Had he really destroyed anything that might have been between them?

His heart suddenly felt constricted, painful even. The thought of losing her, of never being able to hold her in his arms again, felt like too much to bear. It was a feeling he had never experienced before and was one that he was sure he didn't want to ever have to deal with.

_When did I become such a wimp? _

"Sasuke-kun, aren't you coming?"

Snapping out of his reverie, Sasuke surveyed Sakura's cocked head and confused expression as she stood up ahead waiting for him.

_I just hope she keeps waiting for me…_

After a brief pause, Sasuke rejoined the pink-haired woman and she once again smiled with happiness. It seemed like all that she wanted was him beside her, nothing more than that.

_Can I really just be the friend at your side?_

She had asked him to be only yesterday and he had agreed. So why did it feel so hard to do now?

"I wish I could have a star!"

_Not again._

"Stop saying dumb things."

"But they're sooo pretty and I want one of my own."

Sakura looked up at him and then unexpectedly moved in closer to his body. Grabbing his arm, she lifted it up into the air as high as she could.

"You're tall enough to reach I think."

"Let go."

"Please Sasuke-kun get me one!"

He tried to act annoyed with her, but it was becoming harder and harder the more she pouted like that.

"No."

"Oh pleeeease!"

Sighing in resignation, Sasuke reached up higher toward the star-covered sky and then pretended to close his hand around one of the shining orbs. He knew it was foolish, but at least she would stop bugging him for now.

"Let me see it!"

Feeling somewhat childish because of Sakura's drunken behavior, Sasuke raised his hand even higher into the air and smirked down at the woman below him.

"You can have it if you can get it from me."

"That's not fair; you're so tall!"

Sasuke only waved his hand in front of her face teasingly and grinned when she unsuccessfully tried to make a grab for it.

Biting her lip in determination, Sakura jumped up and down repeatedly, attempting to reach the hand held high above her pink head. In her present state of drunkenness however, she lacked the balance to maintain this activity for very long and she was soon stumbling forward into the Uchiha.

Sasuke braced himself as she came crashing against his chest, her hands clutching the fabric of his shirt desperately in order not to fall. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her small waist and steadied her in place.

"You're so clumsy."

Sakura looked up at him and he tried to read the strange expression on her face.

"But you always catch me Sasuke-kun."

Her words made him acutely aware of how close she was and he suddenly felt much warmer than before. Sensing that the mood had somehow changed, Sasuke moved her delicate form off of his and again steered her down the street.

_What is wrong with you? You've had sex with her before and now you can't even touch her without feeling something?!_

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to get some semblance of control over his jumbled thoughts. He was losing it because of this stupid girl and he had no idea how to go back to the carefree Sasuke he had once been not too long ago.

Staring ahead at the row of buildings that housed Sakura's apartment, Sasuke was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice Sakura's absence at his side. Until she yelled out for him that was.

"Sasuke-kun, look at me! I'm going to get a star all by myself!"

Startled out of his thoughts, Sasuke was alarmed to see Sakura standing on a fence to his right. Though the structure was only four or five feet tall, he knew she was in no condition to be testing her balance.

"Sakura get down from there."

She shook her head in dissent and attempted to reach up higher toward the night sky.

"I can…almost…reach…"

"Sakura, don't."

As he advanced toward her, she jumped upward and then slipped on her way down. Sasuke watched as she fell off of the fence and came down hard on her ankle, the sensitive area twisting unnaturally. Sakura cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground clutching the injury.

"Are you alright?"

Sasuke was at her side in a heartbeat, feeling the ankle for a break and checking to make sure nothing else was injured in the fall.

"It…it…hurts…a lot…" Sakura looked on the verge of tears and his heart clenched painfully.

"Don't cry. It's not broken; just sprained that's all."

A glistening tear rolled down her cheek and he wiped it away with his thumb. Helping her to her feet, Sasuke let her put her weight on him as she hobbled down the street toward the apartment building.

In an attempt to seem strong, Sakura let go of his arm and tried to walk on her own. "It doesn't hurt that bad I guess…"

Sasuke wasn't fooled however and he quickly noticed how she winced in pain every time a bit of pressure was put on her ankle. Moving in front of her, he knelt down and gestured toward his back.

"Just get on."

"But…but…"

"But what?"

"I'm heavy."

Sasuke scowled. "If I can't carry someone as small as you then I have no business being a ninja. Now get on."

Sakura tried to hide her pleased smile as she climbed onto the dark-haired man's back and wrapped her arms securely around his neck.

"Thank you Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke simply walked on and tried to disregard how good her curves felt against him; her breasts pressed deliciously against his back in what was supposed to be an innocent piggy-back ride.

_Don't even go there Uchiha…_

They made it to the apartment building without incident and Sasuke carried Sakura all the way up the stairs and into her apartment. Knowing his way to her bedroom from past experience, he made his way into the small room and set her down lightly onto the bed.

"Now it's time for you to go to sleep."

Sakura laid back on the soft mattress and tugged on a of strand of pink hair hanging in front of her eye.

"But I'm not even tired!"

Her words were followed by a large yawn and Sasuke shook his head at her foolishness.

"You're not going to throw up are you?"

Sakura smiled cheekily. "Nooooo. Are you?"

The pink-haired woman rolled onto her side and began humming happily. Sasuke took the opportunity to begin removing her shoes.

"Sasuke-kun you're being so nice to me. Why?"

Sakura wriggled her toes at him and laughed. Yawning loudly, she rolled onto her back and smiled up at him.

"Sit up so I can get your jacket off."

She obeyed and he pulled her small arm from the sleeve gently. He finished removing the article of clothing and walked over to hang it on a chair in the corner of the room.

"Do you even like me Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke froze in mid-movement and was glad she was unable to see his face. The question suddenly seemed like the most important question of his life. The answer however, was one that he didn't know if he could provide.

Turning back toward her, he was both relieved and disappointed to see that she had already fallen asleep. Sasuke perched himself on the edge of her bed and observed her chest rise and fall with each breath. Pulling the blanket over her body, Sasuke tried not to think too much about why his heart fluttered every time his hand grazed her skin.

_I do like you._

He brushed a few loose strands of pink hair from her cheek and then rested his hand on top of hers. His heart was suddenlypounding in his chest, again reminding him that this wasn't just an innocent touch with his best friend. It could never be just that.

_But why?_

She was only _Sakura_; the woman who had gone from being his biggest fan to one of his few friends and finally to her current position as both a best friend and a lover. She had always been there and he had always taken that for granted.

_But now…_

Sasuke tightened his grip on her hand and looked at her face imploringly. His thoughts were out of sorts and he felt unhinged. She was the only one that could do that to him and it was somewhat unnerving.

Why had she always been the one that annoyed him so much, the one that made him mad, made him laugh, made him feel _alive_?

Sakura shifted in her sleep and unconsciously pulled her hand out of his. Reaching for it again, Sasuke stopped himself and let Sakura's question from earlier replay in his head.

"_Do you even like me Sasuke-kun?"_

It was then that he realized that Sakura was more than just a lover, more than just an old friend. She was everything that mattered.

Finally taking her hand firmly in his own Sasuke said out loud what he had been so afraid to admit before.

"I love you."

* * *

Light filtered in through the blinds covering the bedroom window and casted patterns onto Sakura's sleeping face. The pink-haired woman shifted in her sleep and the light ended up directly across her closed eyes. It was just enough to wake her.

_Where am I?_

Sakura's head throbbed as she attempted to sit up and the light shining through the window seemed as if was a laser burning into her skull.

_God, how much did I drink last night?_

She looked around the room through half-closed eyes and spotted her shoes sitting neatly upon the chest at the foot of her bed. Her mind was filled with a vague memory of Sasuke removing them from her feet, but she was at a loss as to what had happened after that. She rubbed her temples with her fingers and sighed.

Sasuke was definitely gone by now and here she was left looking like an idiot.

_You've outdone yourself again Sakura._

Unexpectedly a delicious smell drifted into the bedroom and flooded her nostrils.

_Wait…is that food?_

Getting up far too quickly for her current state, Sakura's head pounded horribly and even worse, her ankle was flooded with burning pain.

_What the hell happened last night?_

She took a step forward and gingerly put pressure on her swollen ankle. This proved to be a bad idea however, and she cried out in pain as her ankle gave out and she fell to the ground with a resounding thud. Sakura was surprised to hear quick footsteps advancing toward her room and was even more surprised to see an annoyed-looking Uchiha Sasuke walk through the door.

He knelt down beside her and pushed her small hands away from the injured ankle.

"What do you think you're doing trying to walk on that?"

He grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her up onto the bed with ease. Sakura looked up at him in confusion.

"Wha...What happened last night?"

"You sprained your ankle."

"How?"

"You were trying to get a star."

"I was what?"

Sasuke scowled in annoyance. "Just stop asking me questions and don't try to do anything stupid again."

He moved to walk out the door and Sakura tried to raise herself off of the bed to follow him. The minute she did so however, Sasuke quickly turned and pushed her back down.

"Can't you just listen for once? You're not in any state to be moving around." He looked her in the eyes and her breath caught in her throat.

"Just stay here and I'll bring you some food."

Sakura felt so warm inside that she could barely breathe. Where was the unfeeling and inconsiderate Sasuke she knew? He left her sitting there and again headed out the door.

"Baka."

She scowled when she heard him mutter under his breath. Maybe he was still the Sasuke she knew after all.

* * *

Naruto was having a wonderful dream. Bowls and bowls of ramen surrounded him as Hinata fed the succulent noodles into his eager mouth. Slurping them up happily, Naruto looked at the beautiful woman across from him and smiled.

"You're the best Hinata-chan!"

He hugged her tightly and she growled in response.

Wait, _growled_?

Naruto was suddenly spinning faster and faster into blackness and then his eyes shot open with a snap. Light shone brightly on his face and he felt a warm body curled up next to him.

"Hinata-chan wake up!"

He rolled over to face his beautiful bride-to-be and was shocked out of his mind to see the face of Inuzuka Kiba next to him. Said ninja was sleeping soundly, letting out a few growls and barks now and then in what was obviously in response to a dream he was having.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!!"

As Kiba awoke and proceeded to freak out just as much as Naruto, neither of them noticed the laughing ninjas watching them through the open window.

* * *

**AN**: So there you have it….Sasuke's in loooooove. Hahaa. I'm interested to see what you guys thought about what went down in this chapter because it's kind of a turning point in the story if you didn't notice. In case anyone is wondering, I'm anticipating only a few more chapters until the end of this story (and if you like calculating stuff…that's like almost a year in update times! ok kidding). I hope you've been enjoying reading as much as I have writing and I hope I haven't annoyed anyone too much with my shamefully infrequent updates!

_Coming Soon….What will happen now that Sasuke finally realizes his true feelings? Is there still a chance for a happy ending or has Sakura already closed the book on love? _

I would LOVE your review! Yes, I'm talking to YOU!

Thanks for reading :)


	10. Chapter Nine

**AN: **Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed/favorited the last chapter! The positive comments always make me feel so great :D And get ready, this chapter is like a freakin beast…Love you guys and sorry about the wait (it _was_ shorter than the last one though!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

_Chapter Nine_

"He did _what_?!"

"He cooked."

"_Food_?"

"What else?"

Naruto was grinning like an idiot now and Sakura felt like punching him.

"Well that's settled then."

"What's settled?"

"We can have a double-wedding ceremony!"

Sakura was pretty sure her jaw was gaping open down to the gray surface of the ramen stand countertop. She had only mentioned briefly and in hindsight rather r_egrettably_ to Naruto that Sasuke had made her breakfast yesterday morning. Unfortunately Naruto had taken this as some sort of sign that she and Sasuke were together now and apparently even on the verge of marriage!

"Naruto, seriously _no_."

The blonde-haired man next to her was happily dreaming of a wedding for his two best friends and seemed entirely oblivious to her comments.

"I knew it would happen, I just knew it!"

He turned his stool toward Sakura and grinned at her with obvious enthusiasm.

"So are you guys going on a date or anything tonight?"

Sakura sighed.

Truly she was flattered by Naruto's happiness for her, but it just wasn't true. She and Sasuke hadn't really resolved anything and they most certainly were not together. They had just casually and almost too easily, slipped back into a state of limbo, where there was uncertainty and confusion between them.

"Really Naruto, Sasuke and I, we're…" Why did it hurt to say it? Sakura stared down at her ramen and stirred it once before continuing, "…we're _not _together and I don't think it's going to happen."

Naruto immediately sensed the shift in Sakura's mood and placed a comforting hand over hers.

"Did something else happen that morning? Did he say something?"

Sakura's mind immediately flashed back to the meal they had shared together yesterday. It had been so uncharacteristically kind of Sasuke to make breakfast for her, to care enough to watch over her when she had been helpless.

"No he was just his normal self."

Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Well that's still reason enough to beat him up."

Sakura couldn't help but smile, albeit far more weakly than usual. It was easy to fall into the comfort and ease that Naruto's presence created, but even easier to remember how bruised her heart was at the moment.

_Why can't Sasuke-kun just leave me alone?_

The events of yesterday morning again filled her mind; Sasuke sitting at her kitchen table, Sasuke eating calmly and quietly with her, their somewhat awkward conversation and his brief mentioning of her silly, drunken behavior the night before.

"_You were impossible last night."_

_Sakura had scoffed at his words, but was intrigued nonetheless. "What did I do exactly?"_

_Sasuke raised a dark eyebrow in her direction. "You really don't remember?"_

_She felt a blush rising to her cheeks. "Was I that bad?"_

_He smirked characteristically and her ridiculous blush deepened. "Yes."_

They had continued talking for a while, but the atmosphere between them didn't stay comfortable for much longer. Too much had happened in the last few days for their relationship to be reconciled by one night, by one act of kindness on Sasuke's part.

Sakura had thanked him of course, but she had hoped that he saw that she wasn't really okay with him yet. He had made her suffer horribly and though she had told him that she still wanted to be friends, she wasn't exactly ready for all that came along with that label.

He must have sensed this, must have known, but he didn't say a word about it. He seemed totally _unaffected_.

"_Thanks for being here Sasuke."_

_He had paused in the doorway and turned to her, his onyx eyes as unreadable as ever. _

"_Don't drink so much…" His eyes left her face and focused on a point above her shoulder. " You might get hurt again."_

The cool statement was far from the customary "you're welcome", but Sakura had recognized the tone in his voice and knew that he meant what he said.

He didn't want her to get hurt…

_But what about my heart, Sasuke-kun?_

* * *

Sasuke grabbed a kunai out of his side pocket and took careful aim. With a quick and practiced flick of the wrist, the weapon was sent flying into a nearby target, the accuracy of the hit somewhat startling. The dark-haired man seemed bored however, as he successively threw two more and hit the same location over again.

With a disgruntled expression plaguing his handsome face, Sasuke began walking across the training field to retrieve the weapons. As he moved however, thoughts of Sakura filled his head.

Pink hair flowing in the breeze, green eyes that sparkled whenever she smiled or laughed, rosy lips that seemed to beg to be kissed…

_Training can't even take my mind off of her._

At the thought of her, Sasuke felt guilty. The other morning he had left her with no explanation for his behavior, no apologies for his past wrongs, only a nice gesture of making breakfast and some casual conversation that ended too quickly.

_But what else am I supposed to do?_

He knew now how he really felt about her. It wasn't some stupid fling with one of his fangirls, it was…well to put it simply_, love._

Sasuke felt strangely _alive_ thinking about it.

_I love her. _

But could she possibly accept him after everything he'd put her through?

Sasuke pulled a kunai out of the wooden target and smirked slightly.

There was only one way to find out.

* * *

Sakura bid Naruto goodbye at the ramen stand and headed down the street in the direction of Konoha Hospital. Though she wasn't exactly in the happiest of moods, she could still appreciate how lovely the day was.

The sun shining warmly on her face, Sakura breathed in the fresh air deeply and tried not to dwell on how disappointing some aspects of life could be.

_C'mon Sakura, at least Sasuke-kun can be your friend now!_

Distracted by her thoughts, Sakura was surprised when a person stopped in front of her, successfully blocking her path.

"Excuse me."

Sakura mumbled the words instinctively as she barely looked up at the man in front of her and attempted to sidestep out of his way.

"Hey Sakura, wait."

_Huh?_

Pausing mid-walk, the pink-haired woman was somewhat startled to see that the person standing near her wasn't some random stranger, but rather her co-worker Takuda Hitoshi. Surveying his appearance, Sakura noted that he was smiling and seemed to be quite happy to see her.

"Oh Hitoshi…hey. How are you?"

"I'm fine, just headed to the hospital. You?"

"Same."

Hitoshi seemed to be expecting her answer and quickly suggested that they walk there together. Sakura agreed of course, but couldn't help but feel awkward having small talk with someone that she had undoubtedly injured.

Sakura could barely keep from cringing as she recalled how Sasuke had threatened and almost physically harmed Hitoshi for simply being in her apartment with her. The whole situation was enough to make her cower in embarrassment and shame. Damn, she really needed to apologize.

"Hitoshi, I want to…I mean to say that…"

_Why was this so freaking hard?_

Hitoshi turned his head in Sakura's direction and waited for her to continue.

"Well, I'm sorry for what happened the other night. It was _terrible_ and it wasn't even your fault. But still I—"

The brown-haired man held up a hand to stop her.

"Sakura, please. You know you don't need to apologize to me. It was just bad timing, I get that."

"But you—"

"Really, I'm fine. Now stop acting like I'm some kid that got bullied on the playground."

Hitoshi grinned at Sakura's dumbfounded expression and gestured to the street out in front of them.

"C'mon. We don't want the nurses freaking out because we're late."

Sakura nodded and followed his lead.

* * *

If Uchiha Sasuke was anything, but a freakin ninja genius he would have left. He, like any _normal person, _would have knocked on the door of Sakura's apartment, waited for her to come, and when she didn't, grudgingly walked back down the stairs.

But _no_, Sasuke couldn't be normal.

When Sakura never answered her door, he became impatient and even a bit worried. And being the skilled shinobi that he was, Sasuke simply used a flame jutsu to burn a hole above the door handle and then reached inside to unlock the door.

Screw waiting around.

Sasuke entered the familiar setting and was greeted by darkness. Moving through the hall that led to Sakura's room, he opened her bedroom door and peered inside. She wasn't there.

_Where is she? She wasn't supposed to be working today…_

Sasuke clearly remembered that she never worked on Sundays and today was most definitely a Sunday.

_Unless she's sick and needed to go to the hospital. Or what if she got hurt?_

His thoughts were irrational, but still unsettling.

Sasuke entered the small kitchen and flipped on the lights. Glancing around, he looked for any signs that would clue him in to her current whereabouts. A few dishes sat unwashed in the sink, a medical journal lay open on the kitchen table next to a small mountain of different colored highlighters, and a pair of fuzzy panda slippers were strewn beneath one of the chairs.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Aa."

A cursory glance at the calendar pinned onto the fridge had given him the answer he needed.

_Sunday: DO NOT OVERSLEEP! 12:30 PM- Taking Lee's shift at the Hospital!_

With a quick hand seal followed by a poof of smoke, Sasuke was transported from the apartment to the sidewalk just outside the hospital. Walking down the path that led to the entrance, he tried to think of what he would say to her, what he could do to convince her that he was being real.

_This is fucking complicated._

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets in frustration.

_She's worth it._

"—and I told that one ER nurse that it was way too early to even be thinking about letting him try to walk."

"Good call. Makoto won't be ready for at least another week if not more. You did well Hitoshi. "

Sasuke stiffened when he heard the familiar voice of Haruno Sakura float into his ears. Looking ahead, Sasuke saw the pink-haired woman approaching from the opposite direction with a man who looked somewhat familiar.

"Um thanks Sakura. I'm glad you think so."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as the man blushed lightly and avoided Sakura's gaze.

_Wait, do I know this idiot?_

It seemed as though Sakura and her companion hadn't noticed his presence yet and he receded into the shelter of some trees off of the pathway so that it would stay that way.

_I'm just curious. _

As they approached, Sasuke got a better look at the brown-haired man next to Sakura and seeing him in closer proximity triggered his memory.

_It's that asshole that Sakura brought home with her the other night. _

The blood pumping through his veins hotly, Sasuke clenched his fists to quell the anger and aggression rising up inside of him. It was a difficult task seeing as how his instinct was to charge in and remove Sakura from the scene by force.

_Calm down. Don't do anything stupid. _

Sasuke let out a long breath and tried to relax. He knew it was ridiculous of him to be so affected by the situation, but just seeing Sakura with this guy was almost causing him to lose it.

"So why didn't Lee come in today?"

"Well he asked me to work his shift a while ago because of some event he was going to…I think it was called the annual "Blossom of Youth Conference" or something weird like that."

Sasuke grimaced as he watched Sakura and the man he now remembered as Hitoshi laugh happily together.

"There's no way that's a real conference!"

Sakura shook her head in dissent. "No, this was for real Hitoshi. He even offered to buy me a ticket if I wanted to come and learn how to make the most of the "prime of my life" as he put it."

Hitoshi laughed loudly and even Sasuke was struck by how ridiculous the whole thing sounded.

_What a fruitcake._

"But don't tell Lee I said anything about it okay?"

"Don't worry; I wouldn't want to do anything to cut him down in the _prime of his youth_!"

Sakura tried to look upset by the jab towards Lee, but just ended up laughing again.

Watching from his spot in the trees, Sasuke's feelings were utterly mixed. On the one hand, he was glad the she was happy, but on the other, his selfish desires wanted her to be miserable unless she was with _him_.

_Why is liking her so annoying?_

As Sakura and Hitoshi passed by he pushed the almost overwhelming impulse to step in and end their conversation aside. He knew if he followed his instincts like he usually did, things would play out very badly and Sakura would end up hurt again.

And it would be _his fault. _

_God you've become soft. _

Sasuke watched Sakura's petite body walk through the double doors and into the hospital.

_I'll talk to her later._

With a practiced hand seal, he was gone.

* * *

Hours later Sakura was still at the hospital carrying out her normal duties as the head of the Emergency Ward and also taking care of Lee's patients. It was a hard job, but she couldn't help but feel more like herself when she was healing people that needed her help.

Walking into her small office, Sakura flipped on the lights and prepared to go over the stack of files she knew was waiting for her on her desk.

_Well, I guess this beats a night of thinking about stupid Sasuke-kun and wallowing in self-pity doesn't it?_

With a grim smile, she eased herself down into the soft chair and rummaged through the mess of papers and books until she found the red pen she was looking for.

_Let the fun begin…_

"Sakura, what are you doing?"

Said pink-haired doctor couldn't help but groan. She was seriously in the mood to get this stuff going and eventually be done by a decent hour.

She looked up and narrowed her eyes at Takuda Hitoshi's form leaning casually against the door frame.

"I _was_ about to start working on these files until _someone _interrupted."

Hitoshi rolled his eyes. "Oh, well excuse me _Doctor Haruno_, but I think you should know something before you begin."

"And what would that be?"

"Those files you're about to labor over," he walked into the office and flipped open the one on top of the stack, "Yea, they're already done."

With a quick scan of the file, Hitoshi's words were confirmed to be true.

"Wow. Don't I look smart?"

Hitoshi grinned. "So guesss what?"

Sakura groaned dramatically. "There's _more_ I don't know?"

"You get to go home. _Early_."

Sakura perked up at the mention of home and her countenance visibly brightened when he added the 'early' to his statement.

"Are you sure you can handle everything tonight alone?" She tried to hide the eagerness in her voice with concern, but Hitoshi wasn't fooled.

"Would you just get out of here already?"

Sakura removed her white coat and left it on the back of her chair before she hurriedly turned off her desk lamp and grabbed her keys. She didn't even mind when Hitoshi chuckled at her haste.

"Well I'll take the files to the front desk then…"

Sakura glanced back at him, almost forgetting that he was still standing at her desk.

"Thanks Hitoshi."

He shook his head. "It's my pleasure."

She turned to leave and then paused in the doorway.

"No, Hitoshi. I mean thanks for always being here and understanding. For just being my _friend._"

Hitoshi looked momentarily taken aback before his easy smile fell into place once more.

"My answer is still the same, it's my pleasure."

Sakura left him there and continued down the hallway toward the exit. She pondered her exchange of words with Hitoshi and came to the conclusion that she could only ever be friends with him. What was reassuring though was that she was pretty sure he knew that too.

_If only things could work out this well with Sasuke-kun. _

* * *

Sasuke couldn't believe his luck.

Here he was, walking to the store to get some food (well, _tomatoes),_ when he spied Sakura walking down the street in his direction. He had of course intended to seek out Sakura later, but he had figured she wouldn't be done with her hospital shift until 12 or 1 am.

_She must have gotten out early then. _

It was 10 pm now, the moon illuminating Sakura's form as she approached, seemingly oblivious to his presence. Sasuke noted how her pink hair stood out like a beacon in the darkness and he almost felt like a moth being hypnotized by a glowing flame.

_I have to tell her tonight._

Sasuke emerged from a shadow-cloaked area of the street and knew that there was no way Sakura could miss him now.

He was right. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of him coming towards her and she stopped walking; her feet planted to the ground as if she needed an anchor for support.

"Sasuke-kun…?"

He paused feet in front of her, not wanting to get too close. Honestly, he didn't trust himself to not reach out and touch her.

"It's dark. Why don't I walk you home?"

It wasn't a question.

Sakura looked surprised, but she regained her composure quickly. Shrugging as if it didn't matter in the least, she brushed past him and didn't wait for him to fall in place beside her.

"I'm used to walking home alone Sasuke-kun."

She hadn't bothered to turn around to address him and Sasuke felt himself getting annoyed by her deliberate show of being independent and nonchalant.

_This isn't what I had in mind for this moment…_

"Sakura, wait." He practically growled the statement at her retreating form.

She paused for a moment. "What?"

"I need to tell you something."

"Oh?"

He could see that she was steadily losing her resolve at being cold towards him as the confidence in her tone began fading.

_Tell her._

Sasuke moved so that he was again in front of her. Sakura's mouth was set in what was supposed to be a grim, determined expression, but her anxious green eyes betrayed her. She was nervous. And for once, so was he.

"You wanted to tell me something?"

Sasuke's dark bangs fell over his right eye as he looked down to meet her gaze. "Yes. It's important."

_Tell her._

Sakura unconsciously moved closer toward him as if he was about to tell her a secret she didn't want to risk missing.

"Well…?"

Sasuke felt fear creeping into his stomach as he prepared to utter the three words that would undoubtedly change his relationship with Sakura forever. He couldn't help but wonder what her response would be, if she would return his feelings.

What if she didn't?

_Tell her._

_Tell her._

_Tell her._

"Sakura."

She looked almost as scared as he was.

"I…"

_Just fucking say it!_

"I…I'm sorry."

Sakura's face visibly fell and she seemed to be struggling to not say or do something.

"You're…sorry?"

_Why the hell did you say __**that**__?_

"For treating you this way."

Sasuke tore his gaze away from hers before continuing. "For always hurting you."

Sakura's breath was coming out shallow and uneven in front of him.

"I don't understand why you're saying this Sasuke…"

"It's because I need to."

"But—"

Sasuke silenced her with a hard expression. "No. You're always making excuses for me." He risked eye contact with her again. "I won't let you do this anymore."

Sakura looked completely confused and at the same time on the verge of tears.

"So what are you really getting at Sasuke? That you're sorry for ever being with me?!"

He didn't reply.

"I know it was wrong what we did, but I don't want you apologizing like you took advantage of me. I _knew _what I was doing ok?"

Sasuke's emotions were threatening to suffocate him as he listened to her impassioned words. Was he really going to let her hate him? Was this his punishment for not appreciating her when he had the chance?

"Sakura…"

But Sakura was quickly losing control of her feelings as well. She lashed out at him in anger to cover the pain she was really experiencing inside. "Spare me whatever emotionless speech you had prepared, I know you don't really care."

"Damn it Sakura! Listen to me!"

"Why should I?!"

"Because I want to be with you!"

Sakura looked dumbfounded. "Wh-what?"

Sasuke let out a ragged breath he didn't realize he was holding. He couldn't take the words back now.

"I want us to be together."

"You…do?"

Sasuke nodded before turning away from her to look out into the darkness. "But I know it's not fair."

"What does fair have to do with it?"

"Everything." He clenched his fists. "Don't you see? _I used you._"

Sakura's sharp intake of breath was impossible to miss and for a second he regretted saying the harsh words. "So that's how you feel Sasuke? That I was someone you could use?"

"Hn."

Sakura let out a small, mirthless laugh. "I'm so stupid. I guess always thought we were both using _each other_. Now it turns out I was the only one!"

_No. It's not true. I love you._

Sasuke couldn't say it now. He had already said too much. The ugly truth was out there and now he was going to lose her like he deserved.

"So when you say you want to be together…you mean just as lovers don't you? That's why you're saying these things."

"No…you're wrong."

Sasuke turned around to face her, to reassure her that he really cared, but flinched when he saw the empty expression in her eyes.

"Don't you see that you're _hurting me_ Sasuke-kun?"

The words cut like a knife straight to the heart. He had done it again, had done what he had sworn to himself not to do. He had caused her pain.

Sakura wiped away a tear that had escaped onto her cheek roughly with the back of her hand. "I really should…leave now."

She took a few steps away from him and then paused.

"I have a mission that starts tomorrow."

"A _mission_? But you haven't been active for months."

Sakura's voice was devoid of emotion as she answered him. "I know that. It's an important medical mission though and Tsunade-sama doesn't trust anyone else to handle it."

Sasuke didn't like the sound of that and an 'important' mission often meant _dangerous. _Running a hand through his black hair, he tried not to think of what could happen to her when she left Konoha, but thoughts of her in pain or being attacked immediately filled his mind.

"Who else is on your team?"

"No one. It's a solo mission."

"_What?"_

Sakura visibly stiffened at Sasuke's incredulous tone. "I'm more than capable of handling this job on my own, Sasuke."

"Hn."

Sasuke was worried now. Sakura on a mission, alone? Even if it was a non-violent, purely medical assignment, it was impossible to predict what could happen outside of Konoha's protective walls. He would have to talk to the Hokage about this…

"I…I won't see you for a while…so goodbye."

Sasuke was thrown out of his reverie by Sakura's soft-spoken words. Though she was obviously angered by his behavior, her last sentiment had seemed fragile and full of some unspoken emotion.

He felt weak inside.

"Sakura…I…"

"Bye Sasuke-kun."

She didn't even bother with walking and instead used a jutsu to transport herself from the uncomfortable scene, leaving only a cloud of pink petals in her wake.

* * *

It was only the next morning that Sasuke took action.

Last night he hadn't followed her, hadn't knocked down her door and demanded that she listen to him, no, he had let her go. But now, with the early morning sunshine warming his face, Sasuke was determined to do something right for once.

The first step would be ensuring her wellbeing.

Thus, with this thought in mind, Sasuke made his way to the Hokage's office with plans of persuading her to change Sakura's mission from solo to group or at least partner. He knew Sakura would be furious with him if she knew, but he just couldn't stand by while her safety was compromised.

Sasuke knocked on the large wooden doors and waited for Tsunade to yell out her customary "What the hell do you want?", but was surprised when the door simply opened for him.

"Oh Sasuke, what are you doing here so early?"

The Hokage's black-haired assistant eyed him skeptically before leading him into the dimly lit office.

"Tsunade-sama isn't even awake yet."

"Can you wake her?"

Shizune chuckled lightly. "Well, she had somewhat of a rough night, but I guess I can give it a try. Just wait here."

Sasuke stood near Tsunade's desk impassively as Shizune walked out of the room through a side door, into what he assumed was the sleeping Hokage's bedroom.

_Rough night huh? Sounds like she had a little too much sake again._

Glancing around the room, Sasuke's eyes were drawn to the desk in front of him, or more particularly, a certain file on the desk. The name typed on the outside was one he had been thinking about a lot lately.

_Haruno Sakura._

Though he knew it was wrong and completely against rules, Sasuke couldn't help himself; he _needed_ to know what her mission was about. With a quick movement, he flipped open the beige folder and skimmed its contents.

The mission sounded easy enough; just the rehabilitation of some foreign diplomat who had ties to Konoha. The location was somewhat far, but from the route mapped out in the mission details, it seemed as though Sakura would be traveling through relatively peaceful areas.

_Maybe I was just overreacting…_

Prepared to close the file and forget the whole thing, Sasuke quickly glanced over the opening information that he had skipped before in his haste to get to the heavy details further down the sheet.

**Name**: Haruno Sakura

**Mission**: Patient Rehabilitation

**Mission Type**: Solo

And then Sasuke read something that made his blood run cold.

_No. _

Scanning it over again he couldn't believe that it was true, that Sakura hadn't told him.

**Mission Duration**: _Two Years_**.**

* * *

**AN: **And just when you thought the plot was safe...Angst strikes back! haha :D So this chapter was really hard to start, but then it sort of took off and got a life of its own….and well, you saw what happened. I'm just hoping it wasn't overly rushed , disjointed, or anything non-amazing. But I kinda liked it so I hope you guys did too. The end is near!!

_Coming Soon…Will Sasuke be able to keep Sakura from leaving for two years? Will she even want him to?_

Thanks for reading and please review! LOVE LOVE LOVE XD


	11. Chapter Ten

**AN:** Hi! I know, I know…it's been a year. More than a year actually. I really do feel bad about putting the story on hiatus for soo long, but I had a lot of stuff going on and even when I had some time, it was like complete mental meltdown…I mean _nothing_ was coming out whenever I tried to write! I can imagine that a lot of readers have abandoned this story and honestly, even I thought about calling it quits for a while, but I just couldn't. Sooo for those of you that still want to continue reading…THANKS, I love you and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

_

* * *

__Chapter Ten_

Two years.

Two years.

_Two fucking years?!_

Sasuke resisted the urge to tear the file in his hands to shreds. Why hadn't she said anything about this to him? Did she just expect to leave for two years without anyone noticing? He flipped the file closed and placed it back in its original place.

Sakura was leaving for _two years _goddamit. She might have already left.

Sasuke's mind reeled at the thought. This wasn't like her in any shape or form; she never left her friends hanging, let alone him. But she hadn't told him anything about this aside from a brief mentioning of the mission.

" Uchiha, what couldn't wait until at least 7 am?"

Sasuke stiffened upon hearing the tired, irritated voice of Tsunade. _She_ was the one would had ordered Sakura to take on this mission.

"Well…what the hell do you want?"

The seething man barely spared her a cold glance before silently walking out of the office leaving Tsunade and Shizune puzzled by his actions.

* * *

Sakura yawned as she walked down the street away from her apartment building.

_Why did I agree to go on such an early mission? I know I'm not a morning person!!_

Six in the morning was quite early wasn't it? It probably didn't help that she had barely slept a wink the night before. Infuriating thoughts of Uchiha Sasuke had plagued her mind as she tossed and turned in bed and even this morning, her heart and mind were still focused on him.

"_I want us to be together."_

"_You…do?"_

The painful conversation from last night kept replaying itself in her head.

"_But I know it's not fair."_

"_What does fair have to do with it?"_

"_Everything."_

And then Sasuke had dealt the death blow…

"_Don't you see? I used you."_

Even now, hours later, that last phrase still hurt to think about. True, she knew he had only wanted her for sex, but hearing it out loud was hard to bear. She really didn't mean anything to him. Hell, did he even think of her as a friend anymore?

Tears clouded her eyes and she tried her best to blink them away.

_God Sakura, get a grip…it's over between you and Sasuke now. Stop blubbering like a baby!_

She was thankful no one was out on the streets this early in the morning to see her struggling with her turbulent emotions. As she approached the gates of Konoha, she couldn't help but think back to when she had tried to prevent Sasuke from leaving all those years ago.

_I was so stupid back then…actually thinking that what I said or did would affect him. _

Sighing heavily, Sakura readjusted the small pack on her shoulders and ran a hand through her slightly tousled pink locks.

_Just forget about him already. It's time to go…_

After taking one last glance at her beloved hometown, she walked through the archway, out of Konoha.

* * *

Sasuke was running as fast as his legs could carry him. Breathing heavily, he bolted up the stairs of Sakura's apartment building and only paused when he reached the familiar door he knew led into her apartment.

_Please be here. Please let her still be here._

Knocking frantically, Sasuke felt a strong, irrational fear gripping his heart. Even though he knew if he didn't find her here he could go after her, he felt like if she made it that far away from him it would almost be too late. Like her heart would be totally hardened against anything he could possibly say.

_Damn it!_

She wasn't answering.

He rested his forehead against the door, fearing that she was already gone for good. Sasuke's hand brushed over the hastily patched-up hole above the door handle and he was reminded of how he had let himself into her apartment only yesterday. He wouldn't need to do that today. It was obvious she wasn't home.

_Fuck…what do I do now? _

Sasuke left the apartment building and tried to calm himself down. This gut-wrenching fear was foreign to him.

_I can't let her leave without knowing that I feel this way…_

Whether by habit or instinct, Sasuke ended up approaching the towering entrance of Konoha deep in thought. It was still empty and quiet, with the light of the early morning sun just barely peeking out over the surrounding trees.

_She was here…_

The faint feeling of her chakra filled his senses as he approached the gates.

_How long ago did she leave? _

Judging by the fact that he could even detect her chakra, she couldn't be that far ahead of him. Maybe he still had a chance to catch her. Bending down to adjust his shoes before he sprinted off after her, Sasuke spared a glance back at the sleeping city.

"Sasuke-kun?"

It was as if his heart had stopped beating completely. Turning back toward Konoha's entrance, Sasuke was shocked to see Sakura standing there in the archway.

"Sasuke, what are you....why are you…"

Sasuke rose from his crouched position and took a step toward her.

"Sakura…"

* * *

Sakura hadn't planned on having to return back to Konoha fifteen minutes after she had just left. But when she realized that she had brought the wrong medical reference book with her, she knew she needed to return quickly and retrieve the right one.

What she hadn't planned on however, was seeing Uchiha Sasuke at Konoha's entrance. Surprise washed over her like a tidal wave, stealing the very breath out of her throat.

"Sasuke, what are you….why are you…."

The dark-haired man seemed to have a strange light in his eyes that she had never seen before.

"Sakura…"

He was moving toward her now and she couldn't help but back away a little.

"Sasuke-kun, what are you doing out here?"

He clenched his jaw and a recognizable expression of anger flashed across his face.

"What am _I_ doing out here? Shouldn't I be asking _you _that question?"

Sakura tried not to let his icy tone intimidate her as she responded. "I told you I had a mission this morning and –"

"Only because we ran into each other last night. If that hadn't happened, you wouldn't have said anything about it."

Sakura bristled at his interruption. "And why does that matter…why do I have to tell _you_ anything?"

If she hadn't have known him so well, she would have missed the look of complete surprise that flashed through his eyes. And was that an expression of _pain_ that clouded his features? No, it couldn't be.

_He doesn't care about you remember?_

"Really Sasuke...why are you here bothering me? I just want to leave for my mission in peace."

Sasuke was staring at her with narrowed eyes and an unreadable expression. She ignored it and plowed on with words she had always wanted to say.

"I mean, you always go on missions without telling me about them! You do what you have to do and _I understand_!"

"Sakura, just hear me out—"

Holding up a hand, Sakura halted his speech.

"No Sasuke! I'm leaving and that's final. Stop trying to control what I do. It's not like you actually care!"

Turning away from the man she had spent a lifetime being in love with, Sakura was surprised to feel wetness brimming from the corners of her eyes.

_He can't see me cry…I have to leave._

Sakura made to walk away from him with as much dignity as she could muster in her emotional state, but was stopped by a firm hand on her wrist.

"Sakura stop!"

She tried to pull out of his grip, but to no avail.

"Let go of me!"

"No."

Sasuke pulled her around so that they were face to face, only inches apart.

"You're wrong about everything. I do care. Too much really."

"But…Sasuke…you don't—"

Sakura didn't have the chance to finish what she was going to say because suddenly Sasuke was kissing her with more passion than she had ever experienced before. Strong arms pulled her body flush against his and held her captive there, while hot, demanding lips covered her own.

Surprised, Sakura was unresponsive for a few moments, before she tried futilely to push him away. It was over quickly however and Sakura was left reeling in the wake of the assault.

"Sasuke, you can't keep doing that!"

Sasuke didn't respond immediately and Sakura used his silence as an opportunity to speak again.

"It's always physical! There's always been something that's meant more to you Sasuke-kun. Getting power, having your revenge—"

Sasuke shook his head. "Not anymore."

"What…do you mean?"

"You."

"_Me?"_

"You matter more. You _mean the most_ to me."

"Wha—" Sasuke gripped her wrist again and used it to pull her against him.

"I love you."

Sakura couldn't help the gasp that came from her throat. Stunned, she stared at Sasuke's face, looking for some sign that this was a joke, but found none. All that she could see were deep, black eyes filled with rawness and yearning that she had never seen in them before.

"You…love me?"

A warm hand reached up to push a few stray hairs out of her face.

"Yes."

Sakura couldn't help it; hearing him agree caused a wave of emotion to rise up in her chest and settle in her throat uncomfortably. It was all she could do to keep from crying uncontrollably right in front of him.

_Hold it together! _

"Sasuke-kun, I…I…I…"

Sakura's trembling voice betrayed her emotions.

"I mean, you can't…it's just not…not…"

A sob escaped before she had a chance to say anything more. She felt Sasuke's arms wrap around her small frame and he held her firmly against his chest.

"I know you probably don't believe me, but…it's the truth."

Sakura could feel his heart beating erratically against her.

"I thought I could just be friends with you, but I can't. I need more."

Tilting her face up to his, Sasuke again stole her breath away with a kiss. And this time Sakura couldn't keep herself from responding. Grasping the back of his dark shirt, she pulled herself even closer to his solid frame. Their mouths moved in practiced motions, as Sasuke tangled one hand in her hair and used the other to clutch her waist.

_Is this real?_

Sakura let out a small gasp as his tongue explored her mouth and she clutched his shoulders for support. She had never felt so close to him before.

_I love him so much…_

And all too soon it was over. Sasuke pulled away from her eager lips and rested his forehead against her own. His breathing was ragged as he whispered to her.

"_Don't_…don't leave."

And what else could she do in response except to pull his mouth back down to hers?

* * *

Sasuke couldn't believe it. He had found Sakura in time, he had actually told her he loved her, and now he had her in his arms and was kissing her like his life depended on it.

_I've missed this…_

Eventually they broke apart from each other, but he kept Sakura firmly in his embrace.

"Does this mean you'll stay?"

It was strange to be asking such a vulnerable question, but he couldn't help it. He had already put himself so far out there that he didn't have anything to lose anymore.

Sakura looked up at him and smiled shyly. "You know I need to go on this mission."

"_What?"_

"Sasuke I'll only be gone two weeks, I don't see why this is such a big deal."

Sasuke choked. "Wait, what?"

"I'll be gone two weeks."

"But, the file said…"

Sakura stared at him with dawning comprehension. "Oh that…well there was a misprint in there that said the duration of the mission was two _years_, but Shizune was too lazy to fix it so—

Sasuke abruptly released her from his arms and ran a shaky hand through his hair.

_You have got to be kidding me._

"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?"

_No! I thought you were leaving for two fucking years!_

Sakura stepped closer to him again and tried to read his strange expression.

"Does this mean you take back what you said?"

He glared at her menacingly.

"Okay okay…I guess that's a no then."

Sakura grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. "I know you're upset because you thought I was leaving for two years without telling you, but don't go and get all surly on me."

Sasuke tried to ignore how good it felt to have her hand in his own.

"Hn."

Taking him by surprise, Sakura leaned up to kiss him chastely on the lips.

"I love you too."

_So this is what it feels like…_

Sasuke tried to contain the feeling of joy that coursed through him at the mere mention of those three words.

_She still loves me._

Sasuke bent down and kissed her again, but Sakura stopped him before things went too far.

"And if you really love me like you say you do, you'll be waiting when I come back."

Sasuke sighed. It would be a long two weeks.

* * *

_Two Weeks Later_

Sakura sighed happily as she jumped through the tree-tops on her way back to Konoha. Her mission complete, she could now return to her normal job, her friends, and most importantly, the man she hadn't stopped thinking about for two weeks straight.

He loved her. He actually _loved _her.

She was suddenly filled by such a strong feeling of giddiness that she couldn't help a smile from spreading across her face. Sasuke really felt the same way that she did.

_So this is what I've been missing out on all these years!_

Spotting the distant silhouettes of Konoha's walls, Sakura grinned excitedly. She was almost home!

_Soon I'll see Sasuke-kun!_

As excited as she was, she couldn't completely ignore the small, but persistent feeling of doubt about the upcoming reunion.

_What if he's changed his mind?_

After all he had put her through, the way they had reconciled just seemed too good to be true. He had been such a playboy before and now he expected her to believe that he only wanted one woman? That Sakura was the only one for him?

_Stop it! You trusted him when you left and you have to trust him now!_

Doing her best to quell her wary mind, Sakura approached the entrance to Konoha swiftly. It was dark outside, but the moon illuminated the familiar buildings and the few people walking around the streets. Walking through the archway, and catching her breath from her brisk pace, Sakura looked around for signs of Sasuke.

Seeing none and feeling a little disappointed, she set off in the direction of her apartment.

_What do you expect? That he would know you're here already?_

Finally she reached the familiar building that she called home and began the short trek up the stairs that would lead her to her apartment. After arriving at her door, and frowning at the hole above the handle that she had forgot about, Sakura suddenly felt a chakra presence approaching her in the hallway.

Turning toward the stairwell, she felt her heart immediately speed up at the sight of the black-haired man she had been yearning to see for two weeks.

"Sasuke-kun…"

And before she knew it, they were kissing and he was shoving her up against the door and she was grasping at his shoulders trying not to lose her balance from the force of his actions. Somehow she managed to unlock the door and get them inside before someone came out into the hallway and witnessed the shocking display of affection, but her mind was too muddled to remember how it all happened.

In the dimness of her apartment foyer, Sakura tried to catch her breath for a moment as Sasuke focused his attention on placing open-mouthed kisses along her jawline and neck. In between kisses, he mumbled breathily.

"I felt…your chakra…and I…I came over as I fast as I could."

Lifting his head, Sasuke stared at her with dark eyes. "I missed you."

Sakura felt giddiness well up inside of her stomach. He hadn't changed his mind; he still wanted to be with her.

"I missed you too Sasuke-kun."

"I want to be with you Sakura. And I don't mean just for tonight…"

They met together in a kiss and Sakura tried to channel every emotion she felt for him into the action. She felt her back pressed firmly against the wall and Sasuke was running his hands along her waist, up and under her shirt and finally along her breasts.

Soon her shirt lay in a pile on the floor and Sakura began tugging on his shirt, hoping it would soon share the same fate as her own. Sasuke let go of her to pull the clothing over his head and once it was disposed of, immediately pinned her to the wall again.

"Sakura…I want you so much."

She moaned in response and kissed his neck and throat hungrily. It was amazing how only he could illicit these raw, uncontrollable feelings in her. Slipping her arms around his neck, Sakura marveled at how strong and solid his muscular body felt against hers.

"Sasuke-kun…bedroom..."

She couldn't help the words from coming out of her mouth and in response she felt Sasuke lifting her up and hitching her thighs around his waist.

_I can't believe this is really happening…._

Together, they stumbled into Sakura's bedroom, only stopping when they reached the edge of the bed. Sasuke quickly pinned her down onto the mattress and continued kissing her in a way that made Sakura feel like her entire body was on fire.

"I need you Sasuke-kun…"

The rest of their clothing was swiftly stripped away until Sakura could feel his warm skin pressed deliciously against her own.

"Oh god…Sasuke…!"

And then suddenly he was filling her over and over again and it was like nothing she had ever experienced before. He was gripping her tightly in his arms and she was clutching onto him as tightly as she possibly could.

_This feels brand new…_

Though they had slept together many times before, this was the first time they were really making love. And as she cried out his name and stars clouded her eyes, she was able to say what she had always wanted to during their many nights together.

"I love you Sasuke-kun. I love you so much!"

After a few brief moments, Sasuke lie spent on top of her. Rolling over, so that he was on his side, he pulled her body against him.

"I love you Sakura."

The words still caught her off guard. "Are you really sure?"

Sasuke smirked. "You think I would cook for someone that I wasn't in love with?"

Sakura giggled, remembering how he had made her breakfast after her drunken escapade the night of Naruto's engagement party. "That is true I suppose…"

Sasuke closed his eyes and for a moment Sakura thought he was falling asleep. "We're together now."

"Oookay Sasuke-kun…"

He opened his eyes to glance at her. "That means no more dates with Rock Lee."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh at his comment. "You think I wanted to go out with him?! I mean seriously…_green spandex_?"

Sasuke smirked, apparently satisfied with her response and Sakura cuddled into his side.

"Goodnight Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

"Don't you actually want to say 'goodnight'?"

"…."

"Sasuke…"

"…."

"Fine. Rock Lee it is!"

"Goodnight."

Sakura smiled. He did love her.

* * *

**AN**: Okay, so I must stress that this is NOT the last chapter. I am planning on one more after this actually. When that will be completed…ehhh I'm not sure, but hopefully soon. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It was kind of exhausting for me because it's like everything kind of built up to this moment and I kept telling myself "OMG don't screw this up too bad or everyone will HATE you!" hahaa. But seriously, I hope it didn't disappoint too badly. I know it was very cheesy soo yea…but hey, you never know…angstiness could return! hehee

_Coming Soon….Happily ever after???_

I know I don't deserve reviews because I made all my wonderful readers wait soooo long for an update….BUT I would love if you review! You can even yell at me and tell me how lazy I am if you want!! Hahaha have a wonderful week :)


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